Figure Drawing
by Melibells
Summary: Learning that Steve was enlisted before getting the chance to follow through with the life drawing class he had signed up for, Darcy jokingly 'volunteers' to help him fulfill that goal. He never would have thought she would offer. She NEVER imagined he would accept. Steve/Darcy, mentions of Steve/Peggy, and a healthy sprinkling of fellow Avengers and supporting cast.
1. Chapter 1

Heya everyone! *waves*

This little story is my first foray into Marvel-Avengers territory. I have been inspired by the growing multitude of fantastic fiction in this category and decided to take a stab at it. My main inspiration is the totally awesome LJ9's absolutely fantastic stories! Check 'em out! I highly recommend!

My focus at this point is Cap, because he is just all kinds of awesome. I've also found and fell in love with the Steve/Darcy pairing (though I do read and love some absolutely fabulous Steve/OC pairing stories) so I wanted to make my own contribution, lol :D

I also wanted to focus on characterization; specifically, Steve's assumed innocence, and Darcy's forwardness. I wanted to shake things up a bit (but not too much!) and turn the tables so to say. Steve is NOT going to be a total pervert by any means, but that doesn't mean his mind can't think dirty. And Darcy will experience something she's never experienced before. And because I wanted to dive right in, heehee, this little story starts out on the two of them already being friends, with a fair bit of backstory as to how they became friends ;)

It will likely be 3 to 4 chapters, and will contain mature subject matter; Language, sensuality, and sexy tiems (Because we all know Steve needs more sexy tiems!) So fair warning!

Obligatory disclaimer: I don't own Marvel, the Avengers, or Captain America. All of which I lament epically.

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The elevator rushed to a rapid stop, and Steve exited with urgency into Stark's poshly decorated great room situated high above the city. He didn't need to look for long before spotting the man himself, leisurely spinning from side to side in a sleek, but plush leather office chair behind his desk.

"Wow. That was quick." the older man stated flatly, mildly impressed, before continuing on with his trademark and expedited surliness.

"What, did you fly here? Which I know you didn't...because you can't. Unless... Are you holding out on me, old man?"

Steve could feel his ire rising. So he took in a deep breath before exhaling it in exasperation, crossing his arms across his chest in the process.

"Please tell me there's an actual emergency."

Tony was apparently unaffected by the clearly visible annoyance that Steve didn't even try to hide.

"There is indeed, my friend." the man said nonchalantly. He then rose from his chair and walked at an equally carefree pace towards the wet bar at the opposite end of the room, to fill his now empty glass.

Steve silently watched him, not moving from where he stood, his brows furrowed as he waited for Stark to elaborate. But the man merely pointed to the open set of double doors across the spacious expanse, before wordlessly swirling the amber liquid in his cup and downing a good portion.

"It's in there."

Raising a brow in confusion, he looked to the darkened room, and saw that it was illuminated from one end, probably by a television. He turned back to stare questioningly at Tony. And at his undoubtedly perplexed expression, said Stark gestured with a wave of his finger.

"A little to the right."

Steve shifted his weight in the opposite direction and craned his neck to peer in the vicinity just indicated. In doing so, he caught sight of four women. He easily identified each as Pepper Potts, Natasha Romanoff, Jane Foster, and Darcy Lewis.

At the sight of the last woman, he gave a small smirk. He remembered her telling him the day before that they'd have to postpone this evening's 'epic bowling match' because she and the 'girls' were having a movie night for Natasha's sake, since Clint apparently pulled a 'dumbass stunt' and got caught for it. Though, he figured the four of them would be going to the theater for the latest big box-office hit, not taking up residence in front of one of Tony's giant screens.

Turning back to the cantankerous genius, "I'm not seeing the emergency."

With an over-exaggerated roll of his eyes, Tony walked over to where he stood, glass in one hand and the other gesturing with an upturned palm at the shotgun theater.

"The emergency, Cap'n, is the fact that camaraderie of the female persuasion," He paused for dramatic effect, "has descended upon my man-cave."

Steve was speechless for a moment.

"Are you serious?"

"Very. Especially since they have tainted the new, custom floor-to-ceiling window display with their horrible chick flicks."

Steve was pretty sure his glare could have burnt a hole straight through Tony Stark's brain, if that was even physically possible. Not that his threatening gaze had any effect, as the man didn't even seem to notice the growing animosity simmering just beneath his stoically cool exterior.

"So..." Stark segued randomly, holding up a deck of playing cards, "how about a game? Hold'em? Five card draw? Your pick. And don't worry about losing and not being able to pay up...we can bet in pretzels."

He really was about to let him have it. Particularly for making him think that something was seriously wrong, when there clearly wasn't. But before he could offer his verbal assault, a familiar voice called his name.

"Hey," Darcy greeted with a smile, though her expression was also puzzled, as she padded lightly and barefoot across the floor.

"What are you doing here all suit-ed up? Not that I'm complaining." she added with a smirk and blatant appraisal.

At least what he thought was blatant appraisal. He was never good with that sort of thing, and Tony didn't comment on it, so he wasn't sure what to make of it. She was his friend, and a sense of awkwardness settled over him for reading into something that might not even be there.

He was about to respond to her, but he watched as the realization of why he was there, 'suited-up' with no pressing emergency, clicked in that pretty little head of hers. And then as she turned and fixed Tony with a half exasperated, half scolding expression.

"Really, Tony?"

"What? You wrangled Pepper into watching sap-saturated movies with you and your girly brigade...in my man-cave, might I add. It's only fair I get a poker buddy."

"And you couldn't have called him like a normal person?"

"Where's the fun in that? Besides, he ignores when I call like a normal person."

Darcy gave a snort at that.

"Gee, I wonder why."

Having removed his mask at some point along the process of figuring out that there was no emergency, Steve raked his fingers through his hair, giving a heavy sigh. He should have known.

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He wasn't exactly sure how he ended up on the couch next to Darcy watching what she informed him in a whisper was _Titanic. _And he couldn't deny the fact that he was a bit uncomfortable sitting in a roomful of women watching what Tony had previously and disdainfully referred to as a 'chick flick'. But the more he sat there realizing that the majority of the room's occupants were too fixated on what was on the screen...or window, apparently...too even notice his discomfort, the more he began to relax and somewhat enjoy the movie. As much as any man could enjoy, given the circumstances.

Yet, despite him growing somewhat more comfortable - and possibly because the beginning of the movie was kind of slow...and _definitely_ because of the look she gave him when she'd said hello...imagined or not - every time Darcy shifted in her seat next to him, he couldn't help his thoughts and eyes as they strayed to the feisty brunette.

He had, for several months now, been warring with an attraction he felt towards Darcy, with the distinction that she was...rather, _is... _his friend weighing heavily in his conscience. It didn't help that his feelings towards Peggy Carter were still very present in his heart, despite the gap of time that would prevent him from ever seeing her again.

To be honest, he didn't think he would ever be able to let go of his love for Peggy. And he didn't want to. She was the first woman to see him for who he was as a person, regardless of his exterior. The first woman to want to know him when he was a 90-something pound asthmatic, and the only woman who cared to know him for more than his serum-enhanced physique. And she respected him, respected him for who he was and his conviction. Maybe even...no..._definitely _strengthened his conviction.

So, it somehow felt like a betrayal of the love he held for Peggy, to develop an attraction to another woman. The rational part of him knew that with everything else he had lost, he would have to move on. And Darcy was a big part of that, making him feel...normal, and not like an overly exalted legend. But still.

Peggy's advent into his life made him realize for the first time how much he wanted to be part of something, to make a life with someone. Peggy was unlike any dame he'd ever met. She wasn't superficial, and her unrelenting faith in him only made his desire for a life with her even more solidly concrete.

But his life had taken a turn for the extraordinary with the serum, and the even more extraordinary well after the serum. And one thing Steve had come to learn, is that extraordinary wasn't always good.

He never would have imagined waking up nearly seventy years in the future.

At first, it was a daunting notion to grasp. The future had always seemed to be some kind of fantasy world. What with the movies he'd seen and the books he'd read. And given the feats achieved by Howard Stark in his day, he couldn't help but think that the future would be riddled with unimaginable marvels that would make life better and easier.

But when he woke up and suddenly found himself actually _in _the future, it was a far cry, and a loud, bright, and harsh contrast to what he'd always imagined. Everything was violently jarring and seemed to move at an even more brutal pace. He had holed himself up in his own solitude, craving for the life he left behind.

He learned quickly though, just how bad it was to dwell on what he'd left behind. Because it only made him desperate to find it again. And when he did find it, carved deeply into the hard, granite face of a tombstone, it made him feel even more heart-achingly alone.

He'd felt like a lost ship, wrecked in a decade he didn't know, with no way of ever going back.

And then the attack, and the call to duty.

Not that war and alien invasions were a welcome distraction from his desolate thoughts. But they were a distraction nonetheless. And more importantly the war was won, and he had formed new friendships. In an unorthodox sense of the word. It wasn't perfect. Hell, it was sometimes...more like, most of the time, pretty damn un-perfect. But it was a step towards better.

It had only been a few weeks after the destruction to New York City almost a year ago, when he'd first met Darcy. Actually, it was more like she just popped into his life one day.

Literally... she just peered over his shoulder one day while he was sketching, and he didn't think he could ever forget the first thing she said to him. What guy would ever forget a gal saying 'Holy shit, that's fucking awesome!' followed up with a 'Seriously dude, you've got some mad skills.' He didn't even know what half of what she'd said meant, aside from the obscenities, but he was pretty sure 'awesome' was a good thing.

At first, she overwhelmed him. She was quirky, forward, and quite bawdy. The opposite of Peggy and her stately dignity.

Not to mention she had a bad habit of tossing around foul language in casual conversation like it was socially acceptable. He'd only found out later, that it actually was more socially acceptable, more or less, compared to his life in the Thirties and Forties, where there was a certain kind of decorum. Still, she was an exception to the rule.

However, the more time he spent with Darcy - which initially was instigated by her - the more he grew to enjoy her company and actually began to seek her out on his own.

After the weeks, that turned into months, that was closing in on a year; and after many movies, very odd history lessons, and day excursions to various new and old places, he grew to learn that Darcy did everything she did for no other reason than she liked being around him and wanted to be his friend. After all, when they'd first met, she hadn't greeted him with a 'Holy shit, you're Captain fucking America!'

No, she complimented his drawings.

Albeit obscenely. But she complimented them nonetheless. And more importantly, she complimented something that was innately him, not just the outside of the package.

Tony said something about it making sense, that he 'needed a little weird and crazy to balance out an old fashioned old-timer like him'. To which he promptly reminded the infuriating man to be respectful of Darcy...and that he was twenty-five.

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So far, the movie had been what seemed to be a love story that merely played out on board the RMS Titanic, and not about the infamous ship itself. He wasn't opposed to romance in movies. But he had taken a particular liking to action movies, since Darcy decided to take it upon herself to make sure he saw only the 'most awesome' flicks, of which the majority were action based. Comedies were pretty fun too, though the more modern ones took some explaining for him to understand all the references.

"I figured you'd show up for this part."

It was Pepper Potts' voice that broke into the film's dialog, and Steve glanced in her direction to see that Tony had entered the room and half-sat on the arm of the chair that she occupied.

"I don't know what you are you talking about. I was just getting tired of being the only one out there while everyone else is in here... since short-n-bossy over there stole my poker buddy."

Steve didn't miss the glare Darcy directed at Tony.

"Oh, really?"

"Hey, I'm being genuine here."

"Mm-hm... maybe twelve percent of you is."

Tony sputtered for a moment, clearly caught off guard by the very smooth dig the calm and collected woman dealt him. It was apparently an inside joke of theirs, but anyone would be able to recognize the dig, judging Tony's reaction.

"Pep, that was a year ago!"

"And I've only sixty-eight percent gotten through not letting you live it down." she got in the last word with a satisfied smirk.

Steve couldn't suppress his amusement at the predicament Tony managed to get himself into, and returned his attention to the screen, once Ironman himself was put in his place by the clever red-head.

However, when his eyes focused again on the film, he froze.

The actress featured prominently before them, let the thin, silky robe that draped her shoulders, slip to the floor in a single fluid movement, exposing very bare and feminine curves. He certainly had not expected _that_. Nor did he expect the camera angle to shift to show the woman from the front. Nude body and pert breasts illuminated by the soft, warm glow of the room she occupied.

Averting his gaze, with heat growing beneath and warming the skin of his face and ears, he found that the other viewers within the room didn't seem the least bit fazed by the nudity. Tony actually seemed happy as a clam as he appraised the naked actress with raised eyebrows. Pepper next to him simply shook her head in resignation.

He shifted his gaze to Darcy, who didn't have any discernible aversion to the nudity either, in another effort to not have to look at the movie playing out before them.

But the awkwardness he felt only grew- probably due to what he'd just seen that he wasn't expecting to see, and the fact that Darcy's shirt formed a perfectly low 'v'- because he had a sudden desire to be in the same position as the actor playing the young artist... but with Darcy as his subject.

His flush deepened even further, and an equally sudden shame overcame him, as his unplanned desire spawned a host of unexpected images involving a very nude Darcy doing...things, with an equally nude him.

He jerked his gaze away, grateful that the actress was finally dressed again. He needed to calm down. He shouldn't be thinking these things, especially about Darcy. He always tried to be a respectful man, so these unwarranted thoughts were, well, unwarranted. It had never been a real problem before. Even with Bucky's unabashedly liberal propensity to disclose details of his own intimate exploits.

Maybe, part of it was this decade's culture of blatantly capitalizing on sex. True the nudity in the movie caught him off guard. But he'd come across magazine advertisements that were ten times more risqué than any pinup he'd ever seen. Not to mention that modern medicine had actually developed a drug to help a man...keep it up - if the proliferation of commercials on the History television station were any indication.

He also had a feeling these unbidden thoughts were a culmination of his serum enhanced physiology and a notable lack of never-ending fight-or-flight scenarios to distract him. He had never and would never admit to it, but certain parts of him had been more...virile, since the transformation. Of course he'd never had such a long span of idle peace in which threat of war wasn't the foremost thought on his mind. So now that he did, well, he had more than a few mornings where he woke up hard enough that ignoring the 'problem' was not an option.

"Alright over there, Cap?"

He tensed instantly and chanced a glance in Stark's direction, only to find the man wearing the most smugly conspiratorial grin on his face.

"Weren't expecting that, we're ya?" Tony continued with a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows.

"Can it, Tony Snark." Darcy commanded flatly.

He was infinitely glad Darcy had been the one to speak up first. He didn't know how to respond, and even if he did, he was pretty sure he'd trip over his own words, making his situation even worse. He was also very thankful that everyone else in the room, by habit, ignored the irritating Stark.

Tony looked like he was about to come with some sort of retort, but Pepper's jab to his ribs effectively silenced the aggravating billionaire.

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"Hey, sorry about the movie," Darcy spoke up as he walked her back to her apartment.

Pepper had arranged for one of the night time secretaries to find a trench coat that Steve could wear, so he wouldn't be hassled by people once he left for the night.

"I mean, I should've realized, with the iceberg, and sinking things, and frozen Leo..."

He wasn't sure what 'frozen Leo' meant, but he had a sneaking suspicion that she was referring to the events of the movie possibly mirroring his crash that landed him in the future.

Offering a small smile he reassured her, "The movie was good...a bit sad...Don't worry, though. My crash was a lot different. And I'm okay. I'm not going to fall apart every time I see something that might remind me of my past."

Maybe it was true a year ago, but he'd finally learned to accept things. Well, maybe it was more accurate to say he was finally _learning _to accept things. As best as he could.

With thanks to present company.

She nodded, her face contemplative before she gave a chuckle.

"It wasn't my pick, by the way. The movie. It was actually Natasha's choice."

At this he raised his brows, amusement seeping into his voice, "Really? That doesn't seem like something she'd pick."

"I know right! I figured she'd pick something with a kick-ass ninja woman who beats the shit out of all the dudes!"

She laughed. And he was glad, giving a laugh of his own. He loved hearing her laugh. When she did, she did so freely, not self-conscious in the least. It made him smile.

"Oh, and sorry about the naked scene. I kinda forgot. I've seen it so many times on tv, and they censor that scene so the kiddies aren't exposed to boobage at a young age."

Well, damn. He was hoping she wouldn't bring that up.

"Uh...it's no big deal."

"I really should have warned you. Tony was being a real ass wipe about it too."

"It's really no big deal, Darcy." he said, his embarrassment waning at the sound of her genuineness. "Besides, Tony's always an ass. I can deal with him."

She gave another laugh at that, using her shoulder to bump his arm playfully.

"You said ass."

And it was his turn to laugh.

"You should say it more often." she continued, which only made him shake his head in amusement.

"Seriously, seeing as yours is really kinda epic."

He knew what epic meant. The original meaning of the word didn't differ much at all from the modern slang use.

"Darcy."

"Oh, come on, Steve! It's your own ass! You can't tell me you haven't looked in a mirror."

Even though he couldn't help the smile plastered on his face, he still ducked his head, rubbing his temple and hoping that his hand concealed how red he could feel his skin turning. He never knew what to do when she started on him about things like that, but he also knew she was just teasing him. She did that a lot.

They fell into a companionable silence, still several blocks from her building, until Darcy struck up a new line of conversation.

"So, you're like a big artist," he chuckled. He was by no means a big artist, he just liked to draw.

"What? You are! I've seen your sketchbooks! You have,"

"Mad skills." he said, finishing for her.

"Totally."

He stuck out his elbow and gently nudged her, playfully, like she had done before.

"So how come I've never seen any naked people in them? Half of Leo's sketchbook was naked French ladies."

It finally occurred to him that Leo was the actor who played the artist in the movie.

"I, uh...have never been to France."

"Oh, ha ha...you do realize that American people are generally naked too right, under all the clothes."

He rolled his eyes, "Yes, I know that."

She looked at him expectantly. So with a sigh he continued.

"I enrolled in a figure drawing class...but then I was enlisted, so I never got to..."

"Ah."

They fell into silence once more, and he noticed that they were nearing her block, remaining quiet, until she brought up a suggestion.

"You should sign up for another class, at like, one of the community colleges or something."

"That's kind of hard for me. Fury keeps hammering home about the anonymity."

"Hmmm... I'm sure you could find private classes, just have to google 'em."

"Uh...I don't know..."

"Ugh, no you're right. Scratch that. You'd probably end up in somebody's rundown apartment with a group of weirdos drawing some bald chick with nipple piercings, or worse, a flabby middle-age dude."

He couldn't deny, nor hide it from his face, that he found both possibilities just a bit horrifying. Did people really pierce...there?

She just laughed and kept on talking.

"You know, you're probably best off just drawing me," she said it in that joking tone she often uses, "I'm normal looking, not flabby...at least I don't think...and I have no piercings in questionable body parts, except a belly button ring, but that's totally not gross."

She had a tendency to ramble, and when she got on a roll, he often got lost in the detail. He did register something else about piercings, but that was pushed completely to the back of his mind by the very suggestion of what he had imagined earlier that evening, coming to life.

And before he even could process the ramifications of his response, the words were out of his mouth.

"You...would do that?"

"Huh?"

"You would let me draw you?"

She paused for a moment. He wasn't sure if she was stunned, because she also seemed to study him in her silence, before giving him a small smile.

"Um, sure."

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So, there's chapter 1! :D

Please let me know what you guys think! How the characters seem, any grammar, etc. I really would appreciate the input!

Stay awesome! And next chapter, we'll get Darcy's POV, which I can tell you now…was absolutely HILARIOUS and fun to write! XD

*hugs to all*

Mel


	2. Chapter 2

OMG! You guys! You are seriously all kinds of awesome! Like, I can't even describe!

I NEVER expected to get such a wonderful response from this story! To be completely honest, I was kind of scared shitless to even post it! There are so many awesome ones out there, I just thought mine was gonna be a dud, lol :)

But 16 reviews from the get go! Omg! *like seriously overwhelmed right now* I cant thank you guys enough! Big hugs to lazyguy90, HPAsherra, Guest, Boinsettia, blown-transistor, Guest, live-life-your-way, LJ9 (my inspiration!), TheBlackCat99, Landmine003, Guest, 86, Ranawe217, crystal-roses13, Team Rosalie, and nickypooh!

So, like I said before, this chapter is Darcy's POV. I really wanted to get it out sooner, but as I was proofing it, it was giving me a lot more trouble than I anticipated. Maybe because Darcy's POV is SO different from Steve's, and also maybe because I took on the task of turning the tables on them, because inner-not-so-confident Darcy is a lot HARDER to write than Sassy Darcy.

I seriously wanted to post this last week, but have been struggling with it for several days, trying to get it to a point where I'm pleased with it. I think I might need a beta-reader. I've never had one, and I have no idea how to go about getting one either, lol. But I think a second set of eyes might really help me keep on track.

Needless to say, I worked my ass off on this chapter! And I REALLY hope that you guys like it! PLEASE let me know what you guys think! Is it win or fail? Because I will seriously be fretting about it!

Side note: OMG! I assume you guys heard the ComicCon news! The official titles for the next Captain America and Thor movies! I'm literally buzzing with excitement! I'm SUPER excited for the next Cap movie!

Obligatory disclaimer: Dear Marvel, I don't own you, but I think I love you. And Captain America. And The Avengers. That is all.

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Being ever the gentleman, Steve had of course insisted on walking her up to her third floor apartment. He didn't stay for long. Only long enough for them to arrange the 'drawing session' for Friday evening, next week.

Shit...she couldn't believe that this whole him-drawing-her-naked thing was actually going to happen.

Any more than she could believe that it was her fat mouth that had even made it a possibility. Or that Steve actually took her joking suggestion seriously. Or that he fucking _thanked _her before leaving. With a totally unexpected and uncharacteristic kiss on the cheek to seal the deal!

There was no way she could back out now.

Not that she could've say 'no' in the first place...with that look of surprised hopefulness in his eyes.

So when he was out of sight and heading back down the stairwell, she slid into her apartment and shut the door behind her. All the emotions that she was doing her best to keep at bay, suddenly hit her like a ton of bricks.

"Oh shit! Oh fuck! Oh shit! Oh fuck! Goddammit! Shit! FUCK!"

She really needed to work on her filtering.

Normally, she didn't give a crap about what people thought when her mouth ran away with her. But she certainly did care when people that _she _cared about got caught in the storm of her wayward loquaciousness.

And she really cared about Steve. So she hoped, beyond all mounting doubts, that this...arrangement...wouldn't fuck things up between them too bad.

In her frustration, she threw her keys at the table, the force behind her throw making them slide across the surface and land in a jingle on the floor. She needed someone to ground her before she really started to loose it. So, grabbing her phone out of her back jeans pocket, she scrolled though her contacts with a shaky hand before finding Jane's and immediately tapping the screen.

It rang, and rang...and rang, and she thought it was about to go to voicemail, but the other end of the line finally picked up.

No one spoke right away. Although, there was a fair amount of shuffling noises and more than one muffled voice through the receiver. She could just make out a faint, but irritated 'just hang up', before Thor's masculine voice greeted uncertainly in her ear.

"H-hello?"

"Thor?"

"Darcy!" he exclaimed, recognizing her voice, "How fares the formidable lightning box warrior?"

If she hadn't been so worked up about her predicament, she would have been able to laugh at Thor's enthusiasm. As it stood, she was only able to give a small, meek sound of amusement.

"Hey, big guy. Can I, uh...talk to Jane?"

"Of course," he apparently picked up on her tone though, because he then asked more sedately, "are you alright?"

"Uh, I hope so..."

"Are you certain? If you need anything..."

"No, no...it's a...woman thing."

He still seemed concerned, but ultimately acquiesced at the notion of her troubles being womanly in nature, and she could hear muffled talking once more.

She was able to catch a 'there are other things I'd rather be doing', followed up with a 'but she sounds quite upset', and a 'oh, I'll give her a reason to be upset'...before Jane's voice clipped in her ear.

"What?"

Apparently, deducing from the little snippets she just heard, and the irritated tone of Jane's voice, she had just interrupted their sexy time. Well, what she supposed was the beginning of it anyways. Because otherwise, neither one of them would have bothered to answer the phone.

This wasn't the first time this had happened either, and normally she would apologize - with a fair amount of good natured ribbing to Jane - and let them continue on their merry way.

But this was a fucking emergency, dammit.

"Well, hello to you too. You do realize that I'm the one you come to whenever you're having man/god problems? A little reciprocation goes a long way."

"Darcy, there better be a point, reason, justification of some legitimate kind for this call, so help me..."

"Holy cow, woman! It won't kill you to talk to your best friend, who is coincidently having something that I'm pretty sure constitutes as a panic attack, for like five minutes! Then you can fuck your Norse boy toy for the rest of the night for all I care!"

A heavy, exasperated sigh preceded Jane's, "Alright. Five minutes."

There was really no other way to say it, so she laid it out as it was.

"I'm totally fucked."

"When aren't you?" Jane asked rhetorically, snorting in amusement, though clearing her throat under the pretense of dignity, before adding, "But go on, elaborate."

Taking in a deep breath, it all came out in a massive jumble of words.

"Okay, so, tonight after everybody left Tony's, Steve walked me home, because he's like that and that's what he does. We were talking, and I apologized about the movie. He said it was good but sad, and the nudity was no big deal, but I could tell that it was. Which it might not have been so bad it it weren't for Tony being such an ass. And Steve even called Tony an ass which was kinda awesome...well, more like really awesome, and I'm not sure how it happened...I think I was basking in the awesomeness of him just saying the word 'ass', because I kinda told him that his ass is epic..."

She paused only long enough for another necessary breath.

But in that very brief pause, Jane took the opportunity to clarify, "I said elaborate, not hyperventilate. Is there a point to any of this?"

"Im getting there!" she defended, before continuing on.

"So, I asked why he doesn't draw naked people, because in the movie Leo drew naked French ladies, and he said something about he hasn't been to France. I told him that American people could be naked too and he should sign up for a class. But apparently Fury won't okay it because of secrecy and shit. So I told him to sign up for private lessons, but he didn't seem to like that idea, because I might have mentioned nipple piercings...but anyways, somewhere along the way, I ended up accidentally volunteering to pose naked for him...and he agreed."

The receiver was completely silent. Darcy couldn't even hear any breathing, but that was probably because her own heartbeat was pounding in her ears.

"Jane?"

"What can I say to that. Other than, you're totally fucked."

Darcy slumped, hanging her head and whining in defeat.

"Seriously, I think only you could pull off something this messed up."

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence. What the hell am I supposed to do? I can't just say 'Hey, Steve, I know I said I would do this for you, but it turns out I can't,' I'll look like a total idiot."

"Yep, even more than you already do."

"You're not helping."

Another sigh. Geez, she knew that she could be annoying at times, but Jane was being a bit over dramatic in her opinion. She also knew Jane could be cranky when she was impatient. But apparently, she was twice as bad when she was impatient and horny.

"Look, Steve is a really nice guy, I'm sure even if you look like an idiot, he would understand."

"I know...but he _thanked_ me, Jane..."

Jane didn't say anything for a moment, but when she finally did, Darcy could practically see the amusement on her face just from the tone of her voice.

"Well, he's not exactly a playboy...so he must really want to see you naked, if he agreed to this...he is a man after all."

She froze. She hadn't thought of it that way.

Well, naturally she couldn't think of him that way. Wait. No. Correct that. More like, she couldn't think of _him _thinking of _her _that way. He just seemed so...pure.

While she definitely could think of him that way. And frequently found herself doing so, ever since she stopped by his gym a few months ago and saw him shirtless. And sweaty. And from behind.

She began regularly frequenting his workouts, because sweet mercy, he really did have an epic ass.

"Darcy."

"Oh, I...uh, well...I always hoped we would go on several dates, you know bridge that whole friends-to-more-than-friends gap, before any...naked activities took place."

Jane gave a little burst of laughter, "Several dates? You two have practically been attached at the hip for almost a year!" but then abruptly paused, her resulting silence a bit worrying to Darcy, "Oh...my...God..."

"What?"

"You're actually serious about him! That's why you're freaking out!"

"Huh, wha...?"

"Lets face it. You have never been serious about any of the guys you've dated and/or slept with. But you've spent the past year getting to know Steve. That has to be the longest relationship you've had with any man that didn't involve sex. Now, you know him pretty darn well, you also know you really like him...and sex had nothing to do with it!"

"Hey!" she couldn't help but be a bit offended that Jane thought she was, well, kind of a slut. But she also couldn't deny the truth behind Jane's analysis, or the realization of how she really felt about Steve, "...I guess you're right."

"Of course I am. You're worried that this might lead to sex. And that sex would ruin the relationship you have with Steve" The know-it-all confidence was apparent in her voice. But it shifted, to something more serious, although kindly so.

The voice of a friend offering their utmost support.

"I also think this is a good thing, for the both of you. Because of you, Steve is finally ready to step out of that lonely little box of his and experience life. And because of him, you are finally able to see that you are worth more than what you think."

Sometimes Jane could really surprise her.

"Goodnight, Darcy. And just take a swimsuit with you, if that makes you feel better."

Jane was a genius.

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Getting through the work week was immensely awkward just as she had predicted. But not for the reasons she originally thought.

At first, she predicted awkwardness with Steve.

That he would blush anytime he looked at her. Or there would be painfully embarrassing interactions between the two of them, with him, or her, or the both of them tripping over words. Or that he would just avoid her altogether. But he was surprisingly confident.

Well, as confident as normally-reserved-Steve could be.

He would blush. She knew he couldn't help it, it was the Irish in him.

But these new blushes she witnessed were not the kind of clumsy and shy expressions that usually would grace his countenance whenever she would say something he found particularly scandalous. No. These blushes were accompanied by a certain look in his eyes. A look that did funny things low in her belly and made her flush right along with him. Because she had a fair idea what he was thinking to make him blush like that.

These weren't flushes of embarrassment.

They were flushes of a man who's rather hot under the collar.

Boy, this was something new for him, something she'd never noticed. Something he'd certainly never outwardly displayed before.

And it seemed that Jane was right. Steve was indeed a man that, despite his supposed and assumed virtuosity, could most definitely think dirty.

In all it's newness, it was also kind of exciting. Okay, maybe a lot exciting. She hadn't felt this way with any guy before, this unexpected exhilaration. It was like a dance, and she was starting to feel swept off her feet. Especially in the realization that the feelings of the two of them being more than friends, just might be mutually shared.

Needless to say, that part of the week was quite...well, let's just say it made her feel an unbearable sense of anticipation. In a very _good_ way.

If only it remained just an unspoken dance between the two of them, unnoticed by anyone else.

But no, it didn't remain that way. Because the universe apparently derived a sick sense of enjoyment in being a meddlesome bitch, and the _real_ awkward part of the week was when others started to notice.

The first one to actually notice anything, before everyone else, was Clint. That man was damned preternaturally observant. He noticed first thing the morning after the...arrangement.

He didn't say anything, he just had a bemused look on his face when he noticed how she blushed at one of Steve's glances when she brought up a file report to the big conference room.

The sharpshooter might have actually written it off as nothing, if he hadn't caught her reacting yet again when Steve gave her a small smile in passing.

Damn that man for his borderline perceptiveness. Damn her nerves. Damn her fair complexion for turning unmistakably pink when flustered, regardless of racial ancestry. And damn Steve and his new found ardor for making her all flustered in the first place.

It didn't take Clint more than those two observations for him to figure something was up. He was also probably thinking all sorts of things, which only made her blush even more when he gave her a knowing smirk. And that pretty much clenched it as a 'something is definitely up and now I have blackmail on you'.

She tried to look her most menacing, glaring figurative daggers at the cocky archer, but he simply laughed saying 'you've got about twenty years before you can match Nat's glare!'

As the rest of the week crawled along, Darcy thought she might have been able to successfully evade anyone else noticing. Because honestly, Clint being obnoxiously suspicious was enough, she didn't need anyone else suspecting.

Jane did tell Thor. But only because he half guessed what was going on in the first place from the phone call he'd overheard. And Thor was being awesome and not an ass about it, probably because he tended to treat her like his little sister.

Unfortunately, Clint thought he was being pretty funny by making it very apparent that he was teasing her about something. So it didn't take very long for the rest of the Avengers and her S.H.I.E.L.D. colleagues to figure out something was up.

Initially, she just got weird looks from Bruce. But he generally stayed to himself, so he shrugged it off, mumbling under his breath about having already left high school behind.

Pepper was also quick to pick up on things.

She could be just as observant as Clint, because she was just that awesome. So it surprised Darcy when the older woman pulled her aside and told her in confidence that she 'suspected for a while' that there was something between her and Steve. Darcy tried to deny it, but Pepper merely smiled a knowing smile - damn these people and their knowing smiles - and told her she'd do her best to 'keep Tony from being too much of a pest.'

Natasha simply gave her that eyebrow raise thing she did... though it did seem a little higher than usual. Fury just shook his head in exasperation. And Agent Hill, well she wasn't sure what kind of look it was, but it was definitely a look, and those were always disconcerting coming from her.

No. It was not good at all.

Then Tony, being reliably nosy as always, asked her if there was something going on between her and Clint. His completely wrong guess was so unexpected, that she basically busted out laughing. Which only did well to piss him off.

But, all things considered, she was actually kind of glad that Tony inferred the wrong thing. It gave her the opportunity to run with it, disguise the fact that there was something going on between her and _Steve. _Not her and Clint.

And by all that is good and sane in this world, poor Steve did _not _need Tony harping on him. It would only make him clam up again, and she was really starting to like this daring side of the normally reserved super-soldier. Even though it was very tentative, it was sincere, and she had a feeling it was really probably the first time he was taking this kind of initiative in his personal life.

She also knew that if Tony knew, he would leap- _literally _leap, with all sorts of maniacal glee- at the chance to torment and tease Steve.

So, when Friday finally rolled around, she felt that she was pretty much in the free and clear, especially considering the fact that Clint stopped his harassing.

Judging by the suspicious gleam in Natasha's eyes- a kind of subtle smile that was kept conspicuously off the rest of her face- Darcy had a feeling that the assassin figured out that Tony's assumption was wrong and managed to discreetly scare the truth out of Clint.

She was also beyond thankful, despite being more than mildly terrified of the woman, that Natasha seemed to be on her side. Well, if not her side, then at least Steve's side. The Black Widow did seem to have a soft spot for Steve...and Bruce.

It was funny. She had hoped, beyond every doubt, that nobody would suspect anything. And now pretty much everyone knew. Except for Tony. Thank _God_.

But seeing as how, nobody was making a big fuss, everything was feeling pretty good again.

That is, until she was actually getting ready to go over to Steve's place.

Her nerves got the better of her once more, and the swimsuit Jane had suggested, was completely and hopelessly forgotten as she headed out.

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She pretty much took over his bathroom right after she arrived at his place.

Those damnable butterflies_ -_ seriously, she was about ready to drop kick those fucking butterflies - very apparent the whole way over. So, in an effort to not totally chicken out, she basically waltzed in, bid him a quick 'Hey, I'm high-jacking your bathroom', and headed straight down the hall.

Things needed to be normal. As normal as they could be in this kind of situation, to which she was about to get naked for her unimaginably-kind, insanely-_gorgeous_, socially-repressed, virgin, male friend. She couldn't let on that she was all kinds of nervous. So she naturally defaulted to her 'I own the place and am as cool as a cucumber' attitude. Steve was quite accustomed to that attitude, so...hopefully he would think nothing of it. Hopefully.

Right now, that attitude was her saving grace as she started to undress, pulling her shirt over her head and shimmying out of her jeans.

It struck her as somewhat odd, that it was no big deal the times when she'd been here watching movies and had to use the toilet after sucking down too much diet coke - after all, she had been partially naked in his bathroom those times.

But she realized, reaching behind her back to unhook her bra, that now was a very different ball of wax. Yet, no matter how different, she needed to keep it together. Keep that wax from melting. There would be no shameless puddles of molten Darcy today. No sir.

"Cool as a cucumber." she stated determinedly as she slid her panties down her legs.

She arranged her clothes as neatly as possible, with her undies hidden between the layers of her shirt and jeans, before looking in the mirror for several minutes, noting all the flaws that she could see, and hoping that Steve wouldn't see them too and translate them to paper.

Though, she had a pretty good inkling that this would be the first time he was going to see a naked woman...in person. So, she was also pretty sure her rather large assets would definitely distract him from the other less attractive parts.

Like that little poof low on her abdomen that one billion crunches couldn't conquer, but a pair of highly elastic panties could tame. Or the little indentations around the oblique muscles at her sides, easily disguised by the band of her bra. Not that highly elastic panties or bra bands were any help now... she couldn't help that she had curves.

Laughing, in a combination of highly nervous amusement at the thought of what Steve's reaction to her nude self would be, she pulled on the robe she brought, it's silky material coming just above her knees, and tied the sash around her waist.

Deciding that she'd spent too much time in his bathroom already - and that she couldn't hide in there all night, because he would probably get all worried and just come looking for her - she reassured herself, "You can do this, Lewis."

So, with a deep intake of breath, she returned to Steve's living room.

She hadn't really had the opportunity to assess the space on her mad dash to his bathroom. But as she stood in the hallway opening that expanded into the wider room, she was able to note the small differences that made their situation even more real than the fact that she was buck ass nude with just a thin robe to cover her...for now.

His apartment never really changed at all, in all the time that she had known him. So right of the bat, she noticed that the lamps that normally took up residence in the various corners of the room, had been replaced more towards the center, illuminating a chair that had also been strategically placed. His art supplies also occupied the space - sketchbook, a large board with a larger pad of paper clipped to it, and several small boxes she could only guess housed his drawing implements.

Steve himself, though facing away from her, looked different. He was dressed casually. Even more so than usual, having traded his standard khakis and button down top for a pair of jeans and a long sleeved henley, said sleeves pushed up to his elbows. The sight alone made her mouth go dry, especially considering the way the material hugged his form. Because seriously. Jeans. Ass. So epic.

Shaking her head slightly, to dislodge those naughtily errant thoughts, she considered more rationally that he was only dressed that way so he wouldn't get any graphite on his everyday clothes. But deep down, she secretly wished he would dress like this more often.

"Steven Rogers," she chided in mock reprimand, "I'm starting to think you've done this before." She needed to break the ice, and teasing seemed a good way to go about it.

He started and turned, but laughed. Maybe a bit nervously, but he laughed.

Teasing was definitely a good icebreaker. Maybe that's why Tony was so insufferable...pretty much _all_ the time.

"Only if you count fruit and inanimate objects."

Steve's eyes met hers, but not before roving over her body, making her feel completely bare even though she was still covered.

"You ready?" she asked him, trying to sound confident. But that gaze of his...the one he just gave and probably wasn't even aware of...made her words come out just the teensiest bit shaky.

And damn if he didn't pick up on it right away.

"Darcy, we don't have to...if you're uncomfortable, we..uh...we can still go have that epic bowling match."

To be honest, she had completely forgotten about the bowling. Her mind had been through so much this past week. Going from being phenomenally freaked out, to feeling the most desired she had ever felt - from just a few glances no less - to being nervous again.

She knew deep down, that things had changed very drastically in a very brief period of time, and that the situation couldn't merely be masked over by a trip to the bowling alley.

Besides, she just got her shit together. She couldn't fall apart now.

She was as cool as a fucking cucumber, goddammit.

"Steve. I'm already here and ready to be art. Besides, would you be able to just forget this and go bowling?"

His eyes met hers again - his unmistakably beautiful blue eyes - and he gave one of his ridiculously adorable half-smiles, where the corner of his mouth quirked up forming a dimple in an expression that was far too sexy for his own good. And the kicker was, he didn't even know it.

He shook his head.

"No. I don't think I could." his voice was soft, but imbued with resolve only brought by realization.

"Then get your pencils ready, soldier." she defaulted back to the teasing.

"Yes, ma'am." he laughed, his smile growing wider at her order.

"And I've seen your skills...I know what you are capable of, so you better not go all Picasso on me."

That earned another laugh from him, as he walked away and situated himself in a chair. He pulled the board with the large pad of paper into his lap, and fished out a stick of graphite and an eraser from one of the boxes on a nearby table.

When he looked up at her again, she could see the way his neck tensed as he visibly swallowed whatever last minute jitters that tried to claim him.

"Okay?" she asked him.

She wanted to make absolutely sure.

But, he nodded again, his eyes meeting hers determinedly, implicit trust in his gaze.

At least, that's what it felt like.

Nevertheless, it was enough to give her the wherewithal to untie the sash around her waist, loosen the material around her, and let the robe slip to the floor in an almost silent flutter.

Time seemed to slow down as it happened, like it wanted to preserve the moment, capture it like a photograph, or something.

And in that impasse, she didn't think that she would _ever _forget the expression on Steve's face.

Or the fact that it sent a shot of warm, wet, heat right between her thighs.

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So, there we have Darcy's POV! Haha!

PLEASE, please, please, let me know what you guys think! I normally don't ask so profusely, but like I said before, I had a tough time editing this chapter, so I'd really like to hear y'all's feedback :D

And I really do take all you guys' reviews to heart! Seriously, now thanks to lazyguy90, I just had an EXCELLENT little plot bunny pop up in my head for the next chapter! There will be smexiness for Steve and Darcy, but in addition...hilarity will most definitely ensue in the form of Tony Stark!

Once more, I can't thank you guys enough for all the wonderful feedback! Please keep it coming so I can make this story more awesome for you!

Big hugs to all!

Mel


	3. Chapter 3

Oh. My. God! You guys! I cannot believe the reception of this story! You guys' response to this has me completely astounded! 45 reviews total! And 32 REVIEWS for chapter 2 alone! The chapter that I had so much trouble with!

I am truly honored with how much support everyone has given to me and this story! So much so, that I may have gotten a little overwhelmed while writing this chapter! Well, a lot overwhelmed, to be honest. I really hope it lives up to everyone's hopes and expectations, because that evil little creature called 'self-doubt' began plaguing me (a LOT) and I began second guessing what I was writing (a LOT).

Thankfully, my inspiration, LJ9, was awesome enough to give much needed guidance. (Thank you LJ!) I still am nervous how you guys are gonna like it, but I felt much more confident once I got back on track :)

I want to extend my thanks to all who have reviewed, favorited, and subscribed! I kinda got backed up on replies to my reviewers (and I wish I could reply to all the guests!) but I'm working on replies, slowly but surely! Haha!

Thankyou's to: **ChamberlinofMusic, Guest, LadyCharliEM, TheForrestAgain, ladymoonsoar, little miss michelle, yolynnjones, Justsuzaku, Noirin12, Solta, 86, Guest, Guest, snowspell, guest, ink-and-ash, Guest, blown-transistor, Guest, Guest, Krosis, Landmine003, Guest, TheDreamerLady, TrickPhotography, Ranawe217, Guest, nickypooh, TheBlackCat99, crystal-roses13, LJ9, **and **leoness!**

Concerning this chapter...I have taken figure drawing classes, so the setting and processes I describe are, in a way, from personal experience haha! And I feel I can confess to you guys...that's where I first saw a naked man in person! Lol! He was kinda skinny, but very well hung. Almost obscenely so...and at that point in my far too innocent life, I couldn't bring myself to draw his...man parts, lol ;) So, in Steve's case I'm doing my best to give a guy's POV of a woman.

The following link (without the spaces!) is roughly the pose that Steve draws of Darcy ;)

I was googling many poses, and this one struck me as particularly beautiful, while still being somewhat innocent (this is _Steve _we're talking about!).

(note: The drawing listed is not my work! I am merely referencing it, in descriptive terms, for the story)

www. etsy listing/ 63572538/ figure- drawing- original- graphite- sketch

ALSO! I has a tumblr now! melifair. tumblr. com

(no spaces!)

Random stuffs there. Some of my drawing and artsy projects. A few of my figure drawing sketches. Feel free to look! Also, there will be Darcy/Steve fan arts for LJ's stories posted there! There's already one sketch up :) Also any ideas and musings for future stories will be posted there too! I've already got two planned after this one :)

This one's an extra long chapter! 25 pages! Please let me know what you guys think! Because I really hope I didn't massively fail, considering I worked my butt off, lol! One chapter and an epilogue to follow!

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He couldn't deny that he'd been anxiously waiting for this all week long.

His desire for Darcy had been building over time more fervently than he thought. The hidden magnitude of it, ultimately granting him the moxie that culminated in this very moment.

But here and now, even his new found bravery in matters of this nature, couldn't have braced him for the reality it. Nor could the encouraging discovery - over the past week - that his attraction to her was possibly reciprocated, prevent his breath from catching as she loosened the tie of her silky robe, and let it drop to the floor.

His brain barely registered the material fluttering in its descent. Seeing as baser instincts had won over, and compelled his eyes to sharply focus on drinking in and committing every detail of Darcy to memory.

She was absolutely perfect. No amount of prior awareness could have prepared him for that fact.

And at that point, all he could do was stare.

He wasn't sure how long he just stared. Even knowing fully well that he shouldn't, because he'd lived in a time where such behavior was indoctrinated as a considerable breach of social decorum. But the minute Darcy's naked curves were exposed, his moral compass had gone completely haywire. And the visceral part of his brain overrode any reasonable attempt to _not _ogle like an idiot.

And ogle he did.

Her breasts - _wow. _His eyes were instantly drawn to them the very minute they were bared. Full, round, and perky.

Bucky had always teased him once he'd figured out his preferences in female anatomy. Said it was practically a sin for a straight-laced and obsessively respectful guy like him to be tempted by a pair of big breasts. Steve always just shook his head in response - while trying to keep his face from turning the color of a ripe tomato - and asserted that he was a man just like any other man.

And right now, Darcy's very ample and exposed bosom, was giving him an all too _physical_ reminder of that fact.

Despite any sense of propriety.

It was a good thing he was already sitting down.

He could feel his face heating up alarmingly, so he quickly redirected his gaze down. Though that did nothing to dispel his dilemma. In fact, it made it worse.

His new vantage only made the manner in which Darcy shifted her weight from foot to foot - most likely due to his unabashed scrutiny - very apparent. And unfortunately, with the state his mind had been rendered into, he immediately noticed the way that movement caused her shapely to hips sway.

It only snowballed from there.

That slight shimmy, caused the repositioned lights in the room to catch and glint off of what looked like an earring in her navel.

Ever since she mentioned different types of body piercings on the fated night that led to this, he been mortified to discover that people really_ did _pierce more than just their ears. Including some very _private_ parts of the body.

But that little piece of jewelry, sparkling from the center of Darcy's smooth abdomen...just made her all the more entrancing. And once more, he found himself having to avert his gaze. Of course, the previous trek his eyes had traveled only dictated that his sight shift lower.

At that point, he was beginning to wonder if he could handle this whole situation after all.

He had thought he could, after seeing the nude woman in the movie last week. That actress, for all intents and purposes, was kind of like a moving pinup. And his embarrassment had been from the fact that he was surrounded by a roomful women, more than anything.

Of course, Tony being there hadn't helped matters either.

But this was real. Not a picture or a movie. Darcy wasreal. _Very _real.

And right in front of him.

Not really sure where to look, he redirected his attention anywhere except her breasts. Or her hips. Or the rhinestone in her navel. Or the neatly trimmed...

Good God...

He ended up looking to her face once more, figuring it was the safest territory.

Her expression was inscrutable. Something very un-Darcy like. Considering that her face was always exceptionally expressive.

"This really is the first time you're seeing a naked woman." she said, as if there had been any doubt. Even the slightest bit.

And he didn't know what to say. So, with a slightly jerky nod, he said the one thing that would usually cover any ineptitude.

"I-I'm sorry."

Out of any of the possible reactions Darcy could have had to that, he truly did not expect the laugh that erupted suddenly from her mouth in a rather indelicate snort.

"Sorry? For what?" she started out incredulously.

"Uh..."

But she then tempered her disbelief to tell him, "Steve, seriously, whatreason do you have to be sorry?"

"I-I'm...not really sure...for being awkward?"

Shaking her head with an amused smirk, she rolled her eyes at him.

"You were born in 1922, you're _supposed _to be awkward."

He gave her a small smile, thankful his own self-effacing tendencies were enough to draw her out of whatever mood her previous unreadable expression represented. And giving a genuine laugh at her bluntness, he agreed.

"I guess I am."

"Yep. So you don't have to worry about turning as red as the stripes on your shield when you look at me...kinda like your doing right now..." his cheeks were burning, even more so, now that she pointed it out, "It's just the two of us."

"And, anyways, you're gonna _have_ to look, mister. None of that glancing away shit, because I _really_ don't want to be Picasso-fied and end up with an extra nose on my forehead."

Right, this whole thing was about drawing her. Somewhere along the way he'd almost forgotten. Probably when she dropped the robe.

But she was back to the teasing again. For which he was immensely grateful. Not only did it remind him of what they were actually here for, but it also brought a sense of ease and lightness to a scenario that had quickly become steeped in bumbling tension thick as pea soup.

"I promise. No extra noses on your forehead."

"Don't cubi-fy me either. I was not meant to be pixelated."

He laughed again. Still not entirely sure about the whole concept of pixels...or computers in general - he was getting better! Though from what basics he did understand, he could definitely see a correlation with the Spanish artist's foray into cubism.

Giving a brisk nod - teasingly in its own right, as if urging her to keep up the teasing, because it really was a damn good distraction - he assured her, "I won't 'cubi-fy' you."

At her responding grin, he was once again feeling like he could do this. That he had found control of his thoughts and could follow through with this thing that they had gotten themselves into.

Until the next thing she said conjured up a whole swarm of unbidden thoughts.

"So... how do you want me?"

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The soft scratch of graphite against smooth paper served as a pretty effective reminder of his task at hand. The methodic process was just enough to lure his thoughts...from how much he privately wished it was his hands...and not only his eyes...that perused her figure, to much less risky issues of proportion and composition.

He had made a fairly quick recovery after Darcy had asked - perhaps a bit too frankly - how she should pose.

It was clear by her own realization, that she didn't even recognize the implications of what she'd said until it was out of her mouth. She'd covered her face, as much as she could with her glasses in the way, and uttered an embarrassed 'fuck, I can't believe I just said that.'

They had both laughed at that point, a nervous reaction to acknowledge and diffuse the awkwardness, before he pointed out the chair in the center of the room, in answer to her question.

As she got situated in the chair, he'd hoped that she didn't think it was too forward of him to set up the room like he had.

She'd already teased him about having done this before - which he hadn't, with a woman..._person_, that is. It was merely something he had picked up from the drawing classes he _had_ taken, where the instructor usually set up still life arrangements in a similar configuration. He just figured it would be easier on her to sit, since she would have to hold the same pose for a long time.

She did ask him...phrasing her question better this time...if he had a particular pose in mind.

And if he had to be honest, he'd been so preoccupied with countless thoughts as to how this night would go, that he hadn't even considered that notion further than the chair itself. So he only suggested she sit somewhat sideways...to avoid the shadows.

Once she found a seemingly comfortable position - reclined sideways in the chair, head resting on one arm propped across the back, and legs draped over the cushioned arm, preserving her last bit of modesty - he began to draw her. Doing his best _not _to think of the sensual way the warm light from the lamps embraced and illuminated her body.

The light was merely a tool to create the lines and contours that the graphite stick in his hand mimicked, as the image that she presented gradually began to appear on the paper.

Not long after the first mark, he fell into the process. The disorderly mess that his thoughts had become after seeing her nude, gathered when he began the deliberate rhythm of laying out the foundation of his drawing in a series of light and sketchy markings. And soon enough, his efforts gained supremacy in his mind.

Although, he did pause, face warming, and slightly hesitant to continue, when he shaded the heavy curvature of her breasts and their darker peaks.

It was silly, and he wasn't even touching her, but drawing that part of her made him feel like he'd crossed a very personal line. So every now and then, he switched to work on safer areas of the drawing - like fine tuning the details of her hands, or her face.

He eventually became so absorbed into perfecting those details, that he noticed little else. Until he caught Darcy yawning and trying hard not to move.

And glancing at the clock, he found that more than an hour had transpired since he'd checked before she came out of the bathroom.

"Getting tired?"

With a sheepish smirk, she nodded.

"Yeah. I think I lost feeling in my legs about fifteen minutes ago."

If he had known she was getting uncomfortable, he would have stopped to give her a break.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

He noticed her posture slacken with relief, but glanced away, as she rose from the chair and retrieved the discarded robe and slipped it on again.

"You looked like you were in the zone," she said, meeting his eyes with her own, "I didn't want to interrupt you."

"I could've stopped, Darcy."

He could have. He could also go back and fill in the details, now that his memory was very intimately acquainted with her body. But he would never admit to that fact.

"Eh...you've waited long enough to get a chance to do this...you even sacrificed getting to do this for the sake of the country, the whole _world _even...I think numb legs kinda pales in comparison."

Shaking his head at her logic - a small grin of amusement forming - he decided that even if he were to contend otherwise, she would be stubborn and not hear any of it. And given the fact that he'd experienced this stubbornness quite a few times before, he knew that it was a futile effort to challenge her reasoning. So, he changed the subject.

"You thirsty?"

She stretched, seeming more at ease now that she was covered up. Or maybe it was him that was more at ease - as he tried to remain that way, ignoring the way the silky robe pulled tight in certain places and up short in others.

"Hmm, yeah. Whatcha got?"

"Water, juice, milk...Diet Coke."

She did a double take at the last option he listed, and he had to suppress a smirk, though he didn't know how successful he was.

"Diet Coke...but you hate Diet Coke."

It was true. As it was also an on-going debate between them. Darcy claiming that the only difference between the two, was that the original's counterpart had no calories. While he, on the other hand, maintained that they must've taken all the flavor out when they got rid of those calories.

Ultimately, they had to agree to disagree.

"And you love it."

The subsequent look she gave him was suspicious with a hint of humor.

"Are you saying you got Diet Coke specifically for _me_?"

Shrugging, and using the same sort of logic she had just a few minutes ago, he responded with a nod, indicating her robe.

"Was the least I could do, considering what you're doing for me."

She feigned a shocked expression, though it was easy to tell, especially with the grin fighting its way to the surface.

"You're getting kinda cheeky."

"Learned from the best."

Snorting in amusement, she pushed him towards to kitchen.

"Go get me my Coke, you."

He laughed in return, letting himself be pushed, and happy that they could still banter even with how different things between them had become.

It was good to know they could still be themselves while heading into unexplored territory. He didn't know where it was taking them, but it was immensely comforting that some things were, for the most part, the same. There was just something extra now.

Retrieving said cola, the cold bottle in hand, he headed back into the living room. He didn't bother pouring the fizzy beverage in a cup, knowing that she preferred drinking straight from the bottle, since she claimed that's what it was meant for.

However,before he could give her the drink - or even say anything for that matter - he stopped short when he saw her studying his drawing.

It was always a sobering moment whenever anyone looked at his artwork.

But now, it was especially so. Seeing as the subject of that very drawing, was silently scrutinizing the dark grey marks that comprised her own nude image.

She looked up and over her shoulder, apparently having sensed him as he moved hesitantly closer.

"Steve, this is amazing."

Still unable to say anything, his face warmed at her attention and praise. Well, mostly the praise. He never really knew what to say when someone complimented him on his ability. So the feeling was compounded now, not just because it was Darcy, but more so because she actually seemed to like what he had drawn.

"I know I've told you before how crazy talented you are, but..." she looked back at the drawing, awe apparent in her tone, "fuck, this is incredible...and you made me actually look...beautiful..."

He furrowed his brows, knowing that she was complimenting him, but picking up right away on her last few words.

He was no stranger to issues of confidence. Heck, he was practically an expert, having spent the majority of his life trying to prove himself. His own shortcomings - physical and otherwise - had only been overcome, or at the very least, met, in the last few of his twenty-five years.

So he couldn't even begin to understand the possibility that the exuberantly outspoken woman before him, questioned her God given beauty. And once again, the words were out of his mouth quicker than he could reel them back in.

"Because you are."

She couldn't have turned to face him any faster than she did just then. Nor could her wide eyes have been more astutely focused on him than they were right at that moment.

Of course the way she was looking at him only made him think he'd said the wrong thing, crossed some invisible boundary of what was acceptable to say to a female friend.

Being friends with Darcy hadn't really given him any kind of experience overall with women, since she didn't act like most women. She was simply herself, and she didn't abide by any conventions - especially those propounded by society - but her own.

"I mean...uh...I just draw what I see."

He tried to explain his comment away, because he really had no idea what was going on in her head right now, any more than he could discern what emotions were in her sharp gaze.

What happened in that next moment caught him absolutely off-guard, as her hands tugged him forward by the shirt, and her lips pressed against his own.

It didn't last long. But it felt like forever, as it filled him with a sense of elation that he could never have anticipated.

Even more than the times he'd been kissed before. Not that he'd been kissed a lot...he could count the number of times on one hand.

Actually, the one time was incredibly awkward and left him more than relieved to run away.

And the other time...with Peggy - the time he wished was more than what it had been - ended up being a fateful goodbye, rather than a promise for a future he had desperately craved, but ended up sleeping through for seventy years.

She was pulling away, and despite how stunned he was - literally, he had only been able to stand there frozen, with the bottle of Diet Coke in his hand - he didn't want it to end.

Rather, he didn't want to miss the chance for it to happen again.

So with that purpose, the lingering sensation her lips upon his own, and a sudden surge of confidence...he tossed cola bottle onto the chair with the drawing board, tilted her chin up, and kissed her soundly. And he felt a strange sense of pride in being the one to initiate it. Particularly, when he felt her lips separate and exhale a warm puff of breath against his own. And more so when a sound of surprise...not unlike a moan...escaped her throat.

However, despite...or maybe because of his daring, this one didn't last much longer than the first kiss. She pulled back suddenly, shock clearly evident on her face, as she didn't expect him to be so bold.

Heck, he surprised himself with his boldness.

He was also starting to get worried again, afraid that he'd been _too_ bold.

Until a different look took over her gaze. And she uttered a barely audible 'oh hell', before grabbing the back of his neck and pulling him down, her mouth sealing with his for the third time.

Not that he was all that aware of how many kisses it took to get to this point. Because he was very quickly becoming overwhelmed by the many sensations that fought for prominence. Especially when he felt her mouth suck his bottom lip between her own. That was enough to make all prior reservations and restraint, abandon his thoughts. And he grasped her tightly to him.

She offered no objection, easily molding her body to his with both arms now looped over his shoulders, where her fingernails scraped the short hair at the nape of his neck, making him shiver despite being anything but cold.

Her warmth radiated through the delicately thin robe - God, it was so thin - where it became trapped against his own form by the insulating weave of the shirt he wore. She was even softer than her feminine shape suggested, now that he was actually holding her.

He unconsciously let his hands follow the curve of her back, hugging her closer, where her firmly pliant breasts - the same ones he'd stared shamelessly at when she was naked, and the same ones he had to stop drawing because they were just too damn distracting - pressed against his chest. Ironically, in a manner far more dangerously distracting than just looking at them had been.

But her tongue became a much bigger distraction when he felt it slip between his lips. Enough that his natural reaction was to let his mouth open and welcome the intimate intrusion.

He'd witnessed couples sharing open mouthed kisses before. Though, it wasn't a regular thing. More often than not, it had been when Bucky had stumbled, lip-locked with a dame, into the apartment they'd shared for a while. Steve always quietly retreated to his room, uncomfortable for having seen his best friend engaged in such activity, while at the same time privately curious as to how something that looked so awkward - really it looked down right messy at times - could be so appealing.

Boy did he understand now.

And it didn't take long for him to return the heated gesture, seeing as the enticement was currently in his mouth, deviously urging him on.

So many feelings, things that he never thought he'd feel...because he was so damn awkward with women...were set loose in this moment with Darcy. Things that he'd tried to ignore and brush aside...because the longer nothing happened for him, the more he thought that it never would. And now that it was happening, he gave into it hungrily.

She was still running her fingers through the hair at his neck - he _really _liked that... - while her tongue languidly caressed his.

And he thought that seeing her nude was enough to do him in.

Now, it was everything...from her fingers, to her body pushed against him only covered in a flimsy robe, to the feel of her curves in his grasp, to her mouth and tongue doing enticingly pleasurable things to him...that broke the dam of inhibitions he'd subconsciously built over the course of his life.

The whole experience was winding him up fast, his jeans growing familiarly snug. And before he was even aware, his hands were traveling low, gripping her pert backside, pressing her even closer. An unconscious effort to relieve that mounting ache.

Her sudden gasp in his mouth brought him back to reality, though. And he found himself fixed by her half-dazed, half-shocked gaze.

"H-holy shit..."

The abrupt return of clarity made him all too aware of where his hands were, and he just as suddenly felt like a deer caught in the headlights with her looking at him with that startled expression. On impulse, he loosened his grip of her, hands hovering at her hips, and at a loss of what to do.

"Darcy...I-I'm..."

Though, he didn't get to finish.

One of her hands clapped firmly over his mouth, preventing him from doing so, as she fixed him with a newly stern stare.

"You better not be getting ready to say you're sorry. Because if you are, I will smack you."

Her words didn't really sink in at first. He was still a bit wound up and he thought she was serious about smacking him. She looked serious. And a bit angry. But when he looked her in the eyes and saw the corner of her rather swollen lips quirk up...what she meant finally hit him.

She wasn't angry about what just happened between them. She _liked_ it. Apparently, enough to hit him if he tried to say sorry. And he certainly wouldn't put it past her to do just that. A tentative grin of his own was beginning to form, though she still covered his mouth.

But feeling the subtle movement, she let her hand fall away from his mouth, resting it instead on his chest. Where he sincerely hoped that she couldn't feel how fast his heart was beating. It was still new after all. Being touched like that. Despite what they had just done.

"I gotta say, I'm surprised..." she started out, clearly trying to sound calm, "I totally didn't expect this...not that I'm complaining, because it was fucking..._wow..." _

Though her tone and her rambling gave her away. She was just as wound up as him.

"And...uh...you...have got some moves, dude..._really _wasn't expecting that...not that that's bad! Because it was good..._really _good...I uh...just...you always say you're bad with women...and what you just did..._total_ opposite..."

He felt himself turning red, unsure of what to make of her very flustered flattery.

"I've...never done...that, before..."

She just stood, stock still, staring at him. And he felt his already warm cheeks begin to burn, along with his ears.

"Seriously?" she deadpanned, "...are you telling me you've never even kissed before? Because that was pretty damn amazing."

"What...no! I've kissed before...just...not like _that..." _

She was still looking at him incredulously, before she apparently recovered herself and tugged at the front of his shirt again, pulling him forward.

"Well, I think we need to do it again...because it's seriously all kinds of wrong that you haven't done more of this."

With that, she closed the space between them once more. Warm lips, moist and puffy from their previous encounter, met his and he easily gave in.

They'd just relaxed into themselves and this new round of affections - Steve feeling more confident and daring this time, thanks to Darcy's approval and urgings - when a sudden series of loud knocks on the door made them both start.

They barely managed to separate as quickly as they could, when Tony Stark's voice called from the hallway outside his apartment.

"Open up, Cap'n! I brought the party to you!"

-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-

Steve cursed under his breath, hurrying to the door where he could hear Tony pounding on it incessantly, yelling 'I know you're in there, Cap...open up!' and 'What the hell is taking so long?'

After he and Darcy had been startled out of their kiss, they'd stared at each other for a panic-stricken moment, frozen, and unsure of what to do. But as Tony kept on knocking, Darcy was the one to gather her wits about her.

Snatching up the drawing board, she had shoved it into his hands, grabbing his arm as well and rushed down the hall of his apartment. She then pushed him towards his room, before dashing into his bathroom, telling him to hide the drawing because Tony would be a monster if he saw it.

He'd only paused briefly, in the flurry of activity, the barest presence of mind causing him to be slightly worried about what to say when he finally did answer the door. She simply told him not to worry, that she would get dressed again and just hide out in his bathroom until Tony left.

At that, it didn't take long for him to hide the picture, putting the drawing board in his closet, before hurrying back to the door. But it felt like forever with every successive knock that reverberated throughout the apartment.

He adjusted himself in his rush, only slight discomfort lingering below the belt. Nothing overtly noticeable, but still. She had gotten him...quite riled up. Starting with the closeness, the touching, and hot, open-mouthed kisses. It had culminated with her sucking on his tongue, nearly sending him over the edge.

However, the abrupt and noisy intrusion caused by Stark had quickly put a damper on things. He only hoped his face wasn't embarrassingly red. Though his growing irritation at the aggravating genius would be more than enough to be able explain that away.

Amidst all the constant knocking, he picked up the sound of his phone ringing. However, given that the shouting on the other side of the door had stopped, he had a pretty good idea who it was calling. So, with a healthy amount of exasperation, he unlocked and yanked the door open, fully prepared to give Tony a much deserved verbal lashing.

But, he ended up stopping short, when he was confronted with not only Tony...but Thor, Clint, and Bruce.

"It's about damn time," Stark began, ending the call. Though pausing with a critical look on his face, giving him the once over, before raising a skeptical brow.

"Don't you look...disheveled."

Irritation briskly bumped to the back burner, Steve was more bewildered than anything...at the unexpected sight of his four fellow Avengers.

"What are you all doing here?"

Stark just pushed his way into Steve's apartment, not even waiting to be invited in, or for the other three still in the hall.

"Not sure what _you_ were doing...not sure I wanna know," Tony commented with another suspicious raise of a brow, "but you had to have heard me."

When all Steve could do was continue to stare after the older man, helplessly wide-eyed, it only earned him an exasperated eye roll.

"I told you...through the door...I brought the party to you."

Being somewhat dumbfounded - and still reeling from what he and Darcy just shared - he couldn't even offer a protest to the presumptuous man that had simply showed up at his place, and strolled in like he owned it. All he could do, was look to the other three men for some sort of explanation that went beyond what Tony had supplied.

Thor was the first to speak, looking apologetically shameful.

"I am deeply sorry, Captain. Had I known Stark was intending to bring us to your dwelling..."

Clint interjected then with his usual aloofness, pushing his way through the door as well, "Yeah, sorry man. Stark was driving."

"He only mentioned a game of poking." Thor continued, and Barton corrected him over his shoulder with a 'It's called Poker, buddy.'

As the archer passed by, Steve looked between the two remaining Avengers outside his door - from Thor with the remorseful expression, to Dr. Banner, looking downright uncomfortable. Not sure what to do, because two of the uninvited guests had already traipsed their way into his home, he simply caved in with a defeated and somewhat anxious sigh, gesturing to the other two in invitation.

"Come on in..."

They looked like they were torn between not knowing if they should, and accepting the official invitation from him - seeing as how half of the wayward group had already imposed.

Eventually, they decided on the latter, and Steve shut the door behind him, absently giving a hopefully appeasing nod to his curious neighbors that had stepped out of their respective apartments to see what all the fuss was about. He was normally a quiet guy, his only regular guest being the young woman currently hiding out in his bathroom.

Facing the living space occupied by the unlikely mix that was the earth's mightiest heroes, he nervously wondered how the heck he was going to get them all to leave. Because it seemed like they planned on staying for a while...if Tony was any indication.

Not only that, but he hadn't had time to right the furniture, or put his pencils and extra sketchbook away before the group of them showed up and he and Darcy scrambled into action. However, the most important pieces of evidence were currently either hidden away in his closet, or getting dressed again in the bathroom.

But of course, the haphazard arrangement hadn't escaped their notice or scrutiny. Tony and Barton more than the others. Thor just surveyed the space like it might have been normal. While Bruce looked vaguely perplexed, and halfway between trying not to look judgmental.

"Gotta say, Rogers, I guess this confirms it...because interior design...really not your thing." Tony remarked flippantly.

Bruce and Clint simultaneously reprimanded the man. Though Steve wasn't really sure what for, and what interior design had to do with it. So he glanced between billionaire, scientist and assassin, hoping for an explanation.

"Confirms what?"

Tony just shook his head, mumbling a 'never mind' before holding up a deck of cards and a bag of pretzels that Steve only just noticed, and exclaiming, "Game time!"

-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-

Time seemed to creep by exceptionally slow. Especially since it took a while to explain the game to Thor - particularly the concept of the 'poker face'. But Steve couldn't really pay much attention. His thoughts kept drifting to how Darcy was holding up in her hiding spot, and what he could do to hurry this along.

He had tried - after coming up with a mostly plausible scenario - telling Tony that he had planned to call it an early night, making an excuse of some compulsory meeting at S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Manhattan Headquarters the next morning. But the man just brushed him off, telling him that he owed him a poker game - of which Steve questioned, since he never agreed to the other one a week ago - and that he needed more socialization.

Apparently, that was why Bruce was there as well.

They played a few practice rounds after that. With only minor incident when Thor actually won a hand and pounded the table in victory, putting a nice fist shaped dent in its surface.

By the time that they'd played several _actual _rounds, Steve had only a few pretzels left. He was never really much for gambling anyways, having only played the game with his old war buddies during the rare moments of quiet while they tracked enemy strongholds throughout Europe.

Besides, now his attention was more often fixed on the clock, noting its time rather than what hand he'd been dealt. Though it was brought back a brief moment when Tony berated Clint and Thor about eating the bets.

It was maybe thirty minutes later, between rounds, when things got a bit precarious.

And that was putting it mildly.

Tony had tossed the deck of cards to Bruce, leaving it to 'Big G' to shuffle and deal out the next round. And to make sure Clint didn't look at his hand, before heading down the hall, claiming the need to 'take a leak'.

Fear had pretty much instantaneously set in at the direction the man was heading - but it really sunk in, forcing adrenaline through every vein in his body, when he heard Stark call out, 'Hey, Captain Perfect, you left the bathroom light on'.

He hadn't considered the possibility of anyone needing to uses the bathroom, anymore than he had thought Darcy would need to hide there in the first place. Because he sure as hell hadn't expected anyone to show up at his door tonight, of all nights.

And forgetting the present company still at the table, since his only thoughts were focused on Darcy or Tony finding Darcy, he hissed out a panicked, "Shit!"

The sudden explicative was more than enough to gain the table's remaining occupants' undivided attention. And he only realized as much when Clint spoke up, his tone laced with surprise.

"Woah. Kinda strong language for you, Cap."

He just grimaced, trying to go for a more collected expression, but failing miserably. Ultimately, raking his hands through his already messy hair as he slumped over his discarded hand of cards. What else could he do...

"Uh...Steve, is everything okay?" It was Bruce this time, looking genuinely worried.

As was Thor, who watched, looking between them all with his own display of concern.

There was no way that Tony could not have noticed Darcy. And all Steve could do was dread the inevitable, as he buried his face in his hands this time. His only saving grace being that Darcy had plenty of time to have gotten dressed...

But after a few minutes, nothing happened. No Tony leading Darcy out to the main living area, with deviously unrestrained harassment in store for both of them. He wasn't sure whether to be relieved...or more worried.

A strong hand on his shoulder coaxed him into looking up, to find Thor, still perplexed, and obviously disturbed by his distress.

"Steven..." the demigod was about to undoubtedly question him, however an abrupt snort from across the table, and Barton's 'Well, shit indeed' followed up by a shrewd smirk, forestalled the hammer wielder.

"I'm impressed, Cap."

Clint still had that knowing grin, one that was far more cocky than normal, and Steve furrowed his brows.

The archer simply slid his portable phone across the table to him, informing him to tap the screen for it to light up again. All the while, the smug smirk still on his face. And when Steve actually went to pick it up, he could have sworn it only got worse.

When the phone lit up...whatever he had expected to see, it most certainly was not a message from Darcy.

A message that read: _Tell Steve don't worry. Hiding in shower. Btw, u guys r loud._

"So..." drawing out the sound, though lowering his voice, Clint took back the phone, "why's Darcy hiding in your shower?"

At that, Bruce and Thor looked up, the latter choking slightly on a pretzel he'd unconsciously been munching on from his pile of earnings.

"Uh..."

With all the attention, _especially _due to the openly broadcasted reason, he could feel that embarrassed heat flare up under the skin of his face. Again.

"Darcy is here?" Thor asked, and the demigod fixed him with an imploring look, "The drawing was to be this night?"

Steve froze and almost forgot how to breathe.

His mind was a mixture of shock, confusion, and embarrassment all rolled into one. And trying to reconcile the incongruous batch of emotions made him glad that breathing was an involuntary function. It took him a few minutes to find the words, but when he did, Clint decided to voice his own perplexed astonishment at the same time.

"How did you know?"

"What drawing?"

Not that they were loud - all of them speaking in hushed tones - but silence settled amongst them again, no one really sure what question to address first.

During that brief span, Barton had the opportunity to analyze the question, looking back at the living room, the disarray of lighting fixtures, the pencils and graphite still strewn about, the bottle of Diet Coke, and the chair Thor had purloined. And with just a few quick clicks of his sharp brain, the archer was once again wearing a sly grin.

"If you were just drawing her...what's with all the freaking out, Cap?"

Steve knew the agent was setting him up, and he couldn't help but glare.

"Unless..." then the other man waggled his eyebrows suggestively, "you were drawing her naked."

When he didn't say anything and proceeded to turn the brightest shade of red that night, the smile instantly vanished from Clint's face, and his jaw dropped.

"H-holy shit...you _we're _drawing her naked!"

Before Steve could protest - not that it would have done any good - Clint rounded on the Asgardian at the table.

"And what does he mean 'How did you know?'...how _did _you know?"

Thor, who had been watching the exchange, brows raised, stated simply, "I heard it from Jane."

"Jane?"

"Dr. Foster?"

Clint then turned to Bruce, clearly offended that the other worldly warrior and his scientist girlfriend knew something he hadn't known - and wanted to know if it extended to Dr. Banner as well.

"Did you know?"

Bruce was never one to be the center of attention, much less a confrontation, as evidenced by his immediate defense.

"Uh...I didn't...it's really none of my business..."

"Doc." Clint pressed.

"I...thought something might be going on..." the reserved man acquiesced, "I didn't know any specifics...I figured that was between them..."

The archer seemed to be pacified with Bruce's answer, because he then mumbled, "Yeah, glad I'm not the only one who noticed...since the two of them were practically feeling each other up with their eyes."

Even though Steve had briefly been left out of the discussion - if it could be called that... - he couldn't help but gape at Clint's insinuation.

Apparently, Bruce thought the assessment was inappropriate...or felt uncomfortable at the very least...because he averted his gaze, rubbing at his brow before changing the topic altogether.

"Um...you know, Tony's been in there for a while..."

At the scientist's observation, Steve felt his heart sink to the pit of his stomach. And if he wasn't so distressed at the thought of what Tony would say, he might have been able to recognize how ridiculous it was that this whole situation, nearly scared him as much as any of the battles he'd been part of.

"Don't worry, man," Clint slapped him on the back, having must've seen the fear on his face, "you know Stark. The man can't keep a lid on something like that...he would've said something by now."

He considered what the marksman told him, some of the panic leaving him as he realized that Tony would have probably just yelled through the door announcing the presence of a young woman...in his shower...on a Friday night.

Boy, when put that way, it really did sound exactly what it should sound like.

He was just about to ask the other men at the table what they thought was taking the billionaire so long, when Clint let loose a laugh after looking at his small phone. Uncertain worry set back in after that little outburst, but the archer simply slid the phone back across the table, still laughing.

The screen was still lit up and the bright display exclaimed in bold letters that could only come from Darcy: '_OMG! WHAT THE HELL DID HE EAT?!_'

When Steve cracked a grin, the table's other occupants looked between him and Clint, evidently curious as to what could elicit that sort of reaction. Considering the fact that he'd been worriedly consumed with Tony finding out about Darcy. And knowing that if the man discovered her, he would want to know not only why she was there, but most notably, why she was hiding.

Taking the phone back, Clint passed it to Bruce, who after viewing the text, pinched his brow in mock exasperation. Or real exasperation. Tony was a regularly overwhelming source of exasperation.

"What did he eat?" Steve couldn't help but ask...and feel really bad for Darcy...

"He dragged us all to have shawarma again." Bruce answered around his own amused laugh, "Only this time he decided last minute to try something different and went for the gyro meat instead."

Clint just snickered.

"Apparently it doesn't agree with him."

At that, Thor gave a nod of understanding.

"Ah, yes...Jane has forbidden me from partaking of the most delicious chili-dogs. Though the fare has yet to unsettle me to such extent, I must concede that something in the contents does yield embarrassing effects."

"Dude...did you just admit to having gas?"

This time, it was Bruce who laughed, earning successive laughter from the rest of the room.

The inadvertent change of topic was a welcome diversion, until the sound of the toilet flushing alerted them to Tony's impending return.

"What's with all the laughing? You all go from suspiciously quiet to laughing your asses off..." the cantankerous man eyed them all, as he rounded the corner to the space where they were all seated, "Were you talking about me?"

Shaking his head, with a lingering grin on his face, Bruce assured him, "Nobody was talking about you, Tony."

" Uh-huh...that's exactly the kind of thing someone says when they _have _been talking about somebody...behind their back."

Clint piped up.

"We weren't talking about you, Stark. Thor was just telling us about..."

"Yeah, okay, whatever...I think its time to call it a night. Because Cap is kind of useless at poker anyways...and besides, Thor's eaten almost all the pretzels."

Thor just grinned as he crunched another stray bet, while Barton raised a dubious brow, reminiscent of his red-headed partner.

"You just want to go home to use your own toilet."

"Wha..?" Tony's offense was short-lived though.

"My toilet _is _awesome."

-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-

Locking the door, Steve let out heavy breath, relieved that they were finally gone.

Normally, he got along with them all - well, _most _of them. But it had been all he could do to keep it together that evening. At least in front of Stark. The rest of them had either known something already, or figured it out as soon as that rare swear word left his mouth.

During the whole thing, he'd been vaguely worried at exactly how Thor had known all along. But ultimately, his concern for Darcy had more precedence in his mind.

Now with them all gone, the very thought of her had him instantly moving towards the hallway and to his bathroom, where she had yet to emerge. She was probably waiting just to make sure there was no chance of Tony still being there when she finally did decide it was safe to come out.

Apparently, Tony had the courtesy to turn the light off, if the darkness he could see from the partially open door was any indication.

"Darcy?" He called her name softly, while pushing the door all the way open and switching the light back on.

The shower curtain was suddenly yanked open. And she looked just as frazzled as he'd felt throughout the whole ordeal.

"That was a close one, huh?" He gave a small smile, hoping to earn one in return.

She gave a short laugh instead, as she stepped out of the tub, "Total understatement. I think I almost fainted when I heard Tony coming down the hall. Which would have been _epically _bad...God, can you imagine what he'd be like if he'd found me in there?"

"Yeah, unfortunately..."

"At least I was already dressed, because that would have been...I don't think there's even a word for it..."

He smiled, "I think 'epically bad' about covers it."

She just nodded and laughed again.

"C'mon...no offense, but I'm tired of your bathroom."

He just grinned, following her out into the living area.

"I'm sorry you had to hide, I had no idea they were all going to show up."

She looked over her shoulder at him as she walked, "Hiding was my idea, remember."

"I know, but..."

Turning back around, she covered his mouth like she had earlier that evening, after they'd...

"Nope. Don't even. Totally not your fault. My beef is with Tony. He interrupted something _very _important."

The last thing she said, the way she said it...he knew she was teasing in that flirtatious way that she sometimes did. And normally, her impish methods were enough to work a fiery red face out of him. But this time, the very fresh memory of having kissed, and felt, and done things with their tongues...made him just as hot as he'd felt when he had her body against his and his tongue in her mouth. All of him, not just his face.

Enough to push all the anxiety and irritation at their surly interloper from his mind, now that the same said meddler was gone. And he was finally in the presence of the only person that he felt uninhibitedly comfortable with in this future he'd never thought he'd be living, after skipping everything between.

Admittedly, he'd momentarily had the irksome notion, after he had shut the door behind his unexpected visitors, that things would be excruciatingly awkward with Darcy. However, the moment he saw her standing fully clothed in his shower, with an expression that was absolutely and completely...Darcy...all those pesky thoughts fled his mind.

Bucky had always told him that if something felt right, then he shouldn't hold back. And in all the time he'd spent with Darcy, especially what they'd done earlier that night, it'd felt right. To let some silly sense of uncertainty hold him back and possibly wreck the best thing to come from the semblance of a life he'd worked to rebuild...well, it was as Darcy often put it, 'messed up.'

Emboldened by that awareness - from the two most important people in his life, from before and now - he gently grabbed hold of her wrist and moved her hand, but didn't let go. Instead pulling her closer.

"That was very rude of him."

Her eyes met his, and he noticed the way she bit her lip as she leaned in.

"It was."

Their lips were close. Close enough that he could feel the warmth of her breath. Her eyes that were normally bright and clear, glistened dark through her thick lashes.

"Now it's late."

Lips met briefly, softly.

"Not safe to go home alone."

"No, it's not..."

Her fingers were doing that thing again. At the back of his neck.

"I should probably stay here..."

He knew it was fast, having her stay the night. Especially since they'd only crossed that intimate threshold a few hours ago. Granted, it was a threshold that they both were very willing to cross. And to him at least, it was one that he was fully aware of, and he knew that it was only a matter of time.

He also knew that it went against every sense of morality that he'd grown up with. But he knew that it felt right too. And that maybe morality had held him back before. Leading him only to regret never having taken that chance.

But that was another lifetime. This was now. And everything he and Darcy had shared up until this point, was something regret had taught him to cherish.

And so he told her, around another kiss…

"You should."

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So there we have chapter 3! This time from Steve!

Omgoodness! I hope I got him right! I was going for he-knows-what-he-wants-and-is-eager-to-get-it, while still being adorable-flustered-not-that-innocent-but-still-kinda-is-virgin-Steve Lol! Which coincidently, is a tall order!

As I was saying above, I was majorly questioning how I was going about this chapter. Admittedly because I read so many incredible Steve/Darcy and Steve/OC stories that have these canon characteristics for him. I had to keep reminding myself that I had intended him to break some of those character molds when I started writing this. I still wanted him to be in character though (THANKYOU for your advice LJ!)

Speaking of which...if you haven't already...GO READ LJ9's STEVE/DARCY AND AVENGER STORIES! They are FABULOUS!

I hope I got all the other Avengers right! And Darcy (from Steve's POV)! Gosh, this is all harder than I anticipated…But I'm having a blast with it!

PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS THINK! Because I will cry if it's a fail!

Oh! And who picked up on Tony's nick-name for Bruce? ;)


	4. Chapter 4

Ok guys,

First off…I am completely astounded (like seriously for reals) how much you like my story! ALL the wonderful reviews! OMG! And the follows, and favorites!

I'm SOOOOOO sorry for not getting this chapter out sooner. To be honest, I had lots of trouble with it. Lots of trouble trying to communicate the vision in my head.

Hopefully it's not too disappointing. Because I owe it to you guys to post it! You have all been so awesome :D I feel pretty happy with it, but since I'm my own proofreader, it all starts to blur. Especially after spending so much time writing it.

It is a very...affectionate chapter ;) and it would have been longer, but the part where I left off...well, I thought it would be SO much better from Steve's POV! XD (you'll see what I'm talking about!)

MUCH thanks to: **lyra, Spring of Darkness, beccatt, Allamericanwitch, guest, FREAKTONIGHT, Kae Gates, Harpiebird, , Angel Bells, youreshowingoffagain, Noirin12, ecwgirl, TheBlackCat99, ChamberlinofMusic, sugarnspiders, TheForrestAgain, KellyAnnie, yuppiethemerlinaddict, yolynnjones, blown-transistor, nickypooh, guest, TrickPhotography, LJ!, ink-and-ash, PrentissMysteryChallenge. **AND ** MrsMoony86 **who's name for some reason shortens itself to just **86 **everytime I post a chapter! (I'm sorry! I just realized it, I didn't want you to think I forgot you!)

Feedback is always very appreciated! Especially since I had such a tough time with this chapter, and I'm really worried how you'll like it!

Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy!

Also, a little tribute to LJ9's story The Chassis That Made Lassie Come Home is towards the end of this chapter ;) Which, btw, if you haven't read her stories…YOU SHOULD! Because they are AWESOME! :D

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Holy shit, he was good at this.

_Really _good.

And eager too.

Hell, if she'd known how enthusiastic he would be, she wouldn't have had that freak out fit she'd had a week ago...

Seriously. Her brain had been a helluva hot mess just trying to keep up the pretense of 'Normal Darcy' in the wake of her epic blabber mouth. Even _she _had toadmit to herself that she'd been ridiculously yap-tastic the night that set this all in motion.

Ultimately, it had taken a rather curt conversation with Jane, a quasi-flirty-Steve induced confidence, an obnoxious Clint, and nearly everyone in her daily orbit of people and super-people figuring out that there was something going on...before she could channel the inner zen of a salad gourd, and strip naked for a twenty-five year old, virgin WWII hero.

But fuck it all, she was anything but 'cool as a cucumber' right now. Because, dear god...did he just moan...

He was _really_ into it this time around.

And damn, he was a fast learner...doing the same things with his tongue that she had done to him. Rendering her brain into an incoherent mass of overactive synapses that made those fucking hormones explode within her, adding to the warm evidence between her legs. Because of that, she only had the vaguest ability to wonder exactly how she'd managed to corrupt his old-fashioned sensibilities.

"You...mmmm..." she started to catch her breath and say, but he was kissing her again.

Wow. She _definitely _unleashed something here.

"I thought...you...mmmm..."

It was really hard to try and say anything when his tongue tangled with hers. Hell, it was really hard just trying to think with any amount of clarity, because...fuck...

At that point, she was more than willing to just let Nature take its course - because they were both quickly becoming horny byproducts of Nature - but the niggling thought of not wanting this to be reduced to that, gave her conscience pause. She didn't want this new found intimacy, with the amazing man who had become one of the most important people in her life, to become just a random fuck for the sake of...well, fucking.

What they had...it deserved more than that. _Steve _deserved more than that.

Smoothing her hands from the neatly cropped hair at the back of his neck to caress his cheeks, she parted their lips with her thumb.

"You know...um...that kind of stay-the-night-talk...is usually followed up by stay-the-night-activities..."

His brows rose, along with the corner of his kissably swollen lips...and she clarified, making him turn adorably red. Despite them having just shared some not-so-innocent make-out time.

"The naked kind."

Skin flushing might have been a typically Steve thing to do, given the word-trigger. As well as the way his adam's apple bobbed when he swallowed nervously. But his eyes...they gleamed with something more. A thrilling conviction, a desire for such intimacy, muted only by the newness and uncertainty of it all.

That look alone spoke volumes. This was a _big_ deal for him. Probably the biggest. And so that made it a big deal for her as well.

_Definitely _the biggest.

And she didn't want to muck it up by rushing into sex.

"But I thought you kinda wanted to wait for that. You know, find the right girl. Marry her first..."

His eyes were bright and and playful. And all the kissing must have put him in a daring enough mood to say the next thing that came out of his mouth...as if it should be completely obvious.

"You are that girl."

But it wasn't obvious to her, because she had never expected it.

She had never expected it, because she'd kept thinking - despite her feelings for him - that he couldn't possibly feel that way towards her for the simple reason that their relationship was built on friendship. All her prior 'relationships' had been built on sexual attraction, so when the actual relationship part of it came up and she tried to be herself...well, it never worked out.

So to hear Steve say she was that girl...after just being herself with him for so long...to connect her inner yearning with the actuality of what he just said. To realize, even through her disbelief, that he could have any perfect woman that he wanted...and he wanted her, and all her imperfect crazy...

The overwhelming sincerity of his declaration - well, it stunned her stupid.

It was only when he started the nervous rambling that usually happened when he thought he'd said the wrong thing, that she became aware of how long she must've been unresponsive.

"...not that I'm asking you to...I mean...maybe one day...you're definitely the girl that I...unless you don't want to...what I'm trying to say is...things are different now, I know that...you don't have to be married to...uh...do...um..."

After letting him go on for a bit - partly because she was still trying to gather her words in the wake of that last revelation, and partly because he was completely adorable when he got all flustered like this - she smiled until he noticed her expression and his stuttering tapered off into modest but hopeful silence.

She waited just a moment longer, looking up at him and his beautiful eyes, then asked in a way she knew would make him smile.

"So, I'm the girl, huh?"

He didn't disappoint either. One lip curled slowly upwards, forming a dimple - damn, it really was sexy when he did that - like he was gauging her reaction before breaking out into a smile that dazzled her hormones into a state of frenzy.

"Yeah."

He reached up, tucking some loose hair behind her ear, in a manner that contrasted sharply with his impassioned affections from just those few minutes prior. She had a feeling that after his little verbal stumble, he probably was subconsciously being more tentative. Especially in the wake of, well...being more frisky than he's probably been around anyone...or with anyone.

But his hand didn't move, as he traced a thumb across her cheek. And that determined resolve was back in his eyes, even though his brows were newly furrowed with whatever fresh worry cropped up in that cautious brain of his.

"Darcy...I've never..."

She didn't want to give him the chance to over-think it. Because she knew he would start feeling awkward. And now that this bridge was being crossed...she knew that she didn't want to end up on the other side without him right there with her.

Awkwardness would just send them backwards.

So she told him, fixing him with her own gaze of conviction - despite it's precariousness.

"Hey, that doesn't matter, okay. This is new for me too."

Because it mattered _so _much.

"And we are totally in this together, 'cause I care about you too much for this not to happen."

The hopefulness was back in his eyes, and those ridiculously kissable lips of his quirked up in another half-smile.

"We don't have to rush anything either."

His eyes grew hazy when she lightly scraped her nails across the nape of his neck, and his forehead came to rest against hers. Which couldn't have been entirely comfortable, considering how tall he was and the fact that she was somewhat vertically challenged. But he made it work.

A sigh, breezed warm from his lips, as he hesitated contemplatively before saying, "It wasn't like this before."

Her fingers stilled, and she looked up at him slightly confused, waiting for him to go on.

"I didn't...know her...like I know you..."

Ah. That explained that. And deep down, what he just said did several things all at once.

She knew that his only frame of reference for anything of this sort was Peggy. Yet her mind in all it's arbitrary willfulness, instigated an unfounded but completely innate jealousy. By the same hand, her deflated strength of mind, was ecstatic at the deeper sense of closeness he shared with her...that he'd never shared with Peggy. And oddly enough, it balanced out in a weirdly satisfying manner. Although, it all made her feel guilty, because she knew that she shouldn't be making this all about herself.

And the very next thing he said reminded her of that.

"What if I sleep another seventy years?"

The question caught her unprepared, and it occurred to her then, that his uncertainty wasn't for the reasons she'd originally thought. At least not entirely.

And being one to know the consequences of having rushed things before truly being ready for them, she didn't want the same thing to happen between them. For both their sakes.

"Okay. First off...that's _not _gonna happen. This" she gestured between them in the small space between their bodies, "is really important to you...and since I'm officially your girl now...it's important to me too. So we're not gonna rush it, just because of a barely-even-there chance that that _might _happen again."

His brows were still furrowed, like his burdensome thoughts had pinched them that way. Even though he smiled at her mention of being his girl, which should have been enough to erase the gloominess of past memories from haunting his mind.

But she knew him, and she really couldn't blame him for letting those kind of musings affect his view of the world. The Universe had done one _hell _of a number on him, and while he bounced back pretty damn resiliently - considering the clusterfuck of shit he'd gone through - he would probably never truly be able to sweep everything under the rug.

So she continued.

"Seriously, even if it did happen - which it won't! But even if it did...there's been seventy years of stupid-fast technological advancement. There are like super-advanced satellites that can track you down...which, by the way, you are _so _getting micro-chipped..."

His expression brightened a bit then. Half, because he knew there was a teasing joke in there somewhere. And partly from a look he normally got when anyone talked about modern technology that was beyond his grasp. He could handle his phone and the computer, but talk about infrared satellites in geo-synchronous orbit...and his expression was a cross between being in awe and a little bit lost.

Regardless of the mechanics, however, he did seem to pick up on her reassurance that his chances of being found were in his favor exponentially.

"Let's just go with what feels right."

In that next moment, his gaze was intense. But she didn't get to wonder why, because he was kissing her again. And pretty much all she could focus on was the warmth of him as he hugged her close, the fingers that threaded through her hair...cradling her head so that he could deepen their kiss, and the last words she'd just spoken.

When they parted for air, he still pressed light kisses to both of her lips. And she, in turn, nipped at his.

"It's late...I still think it's not safe for you to go."

She smiled.

"Oh, I'm definitely staying." her hands were on his chest, where his heart was racing beneath her fingers.

And hot damn...he just licked his lips.

"You can have my bed, I...uh, I'll sleep on the couch."

As much as she knew that sleeping in the same bed with him would be _majorly _ tempting, she really didn't want to be by herself. Not after this.

She could behave herself.

"Nope. As your girlfriend," she tested the word, secretly thrilled at the way it sounded in context to whom, "I don't think I would be very comfortable all alone."

He swallowed visibly again.

"And anyways," she kissed him softly, "how are we supposed to cuddle if you're on the couch?"

His voice was low, and a bit shaky at first - but his words...

"There might be more than cuddling."

Wow. Maybe she wasnt the only one that needed to behave, because that was downright dirty for Steve. She may have seen a hint of it, the week leading up to this. But to hear it from his mouth...

The most epic of wins.

"Yeah?"

"I really like kissing you."

She couldn't help breaking out into a big smile. Apparently hers was infectious, because he sexy-half-smiled again at her reaction.

"I really like kissing you too."

The next kiss _could_ have been the kind that put all her previous assertions to shame, but it was soft and sweet. Only lasting a few moments.

"You know," she started, "I'm gonna need something to sleep in. Got an extra shirt and some boxers?"

His brows rose at her request, and his face was tinged slightly pink, before he admitted, "Shirt's not a problem, but...I don't have boxers."

She fixed him with a look halfway between stern and astonished.

"Please tell me you go commando and don't wear tighty-whities."

This time it was his face that took on the mixed expressions.

"Uh...the package said boxer-briefs..."

Sweet fucking sanity...

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Warmth is the first thing that registered with clarity, as consciousness roused her resting mind.

Warmth. The steady rise and fall of the breathing thing she's sprawled across. A constant bu-bump in her ear. The gentle weight of a strong arm wrapped around her shoulder...

Awareness was ridiculously quick to rush back then. And in that flash of a moment - before the memories flooded in with their reassurance - there was the thought that she and Steve had had sex.

After all their talk of not rushing things...

But the familiar drape of a cotton t-shirt and hug of sweatpants about her waist halted that assumed reaction. As well as the feel of similar cotton stretched across his chest. Enough to allow those memories to assure her that they hadn't gone all the way.

Not that the idea didn't cross her mind _many _times the night before. While kissing. And touching. Boy, did he like second base. A _lot. _The tactual recollection sending a warm shiver of exhilaration through her body.

Breathing a deep sigh, she shifted her head to look up at him, trying her best to keep her movements as smooth and small as possible, not wanting to wake him up. Because he didn't often always get a good long chance to just relax.

It was a rare treat to see him when he was like this. Calm. Tension and worry free. It was also remarkably vulnerable. Especially for someone who was always so attentively vigilant.

However, despite her efforts to not rouse him, he was apparently waking up anyways. And she watched his eyes blink open, her whole body moving with his when he inhaled a deep breath, then exhaled it slowly.

"Hey."

The smile that he gave her was lazy. His normally neatly combed hair, was ruffled. And she felt like the luckiest person ever, getting to see him like this.

"Hey."

Reaching up, she pushed some of the stray locks of his messy hair off his brow.

"Sleep good, soldier?"

"Best night's sleep."

A hand smoothed across her back, and he pulled her down for a kiss. She would have been self-conscious about morning breath - especially having not brushed her teeth the night before - but he didn't seem to mind. In fact, he skipped out on brushing too. Which was so win, in a weird sorta way.

"Mmmm...that so?"

He simply grinned.

"Don't really want to get up."

She snuggled into his warmth, inwardly ecstatic that he - normally up-before-the-crack-of-dawn Steve, with his military proficiency - wanted to laze in bed...with her.

"Me neither."

So they stayed that way for a while. His fingers combed through her hair - which miraculously didn't snag and tug from its usual morning proliferation of tangles. He actually was somehow able to glide his strong digits so gently through her tresses, that the rhythmic motion lulled her back into a dozy state, not all that far from sleep again.

It was blissfully awesome.

And their peaceful reverie might have stayed...well, peaceful and blissful and awesome...if the chirping ring of Steve's land-line hadn't pierced their quiet.

Grumbling at the rude noise, she nestled further against his body, half tempted to tell him to just let it ring. Though she didn't have to...

Because he did just that.

But the phone started ringing again after the brief period in which the voicemail probably picked up.

"Oh my god! Answer it!"

Her exclamation was muffled, with her face still smooshed into his chest, and she moved with him as he chuckled and reached for the phone.

When he answered, his voice was huskier than normal, and it would totally sound like he'd been sleeping.

Still, he answered all the same.

"Hello?"

His body went suddenly rigid, and she could tell that the caller was not anyone he'd expected. A fact confirmed that very next instant.

"Dr. Foster?"

What the shit?!

Her head shot up, and she looked into Steve's wide eyes.

"...um..."

She couldn't tell what Jane was saying, but she could hear the speedy hysteria in her voice.

"...uh, no...she's fine...she's, um...here."

The phone went silent then, for what seemed like several very palpable minutes, before Steve said a quiet 'okay' and handed her the phone.

She reluctantly rolled up and off of him, bringing the phone to her ear, all the while feeling the bed shift once she was settled. Looking over her shoulder she saw him sitting on the mattress' edge doing the same, giving her an apprehensive but upturned quirk of his lip and scratching at the cropped hair at his neck, before getting up and heading for the hall.

"Hello..." she ventured hesitantly, preparing herself for whatever rebuff Jane had in store for her.

"You're in his bed aren't you."

Ugh. The tone.

"Jane..."

"Here I was, all worried about you...after calling your apartment nearly ten times, only for you not to answer. Then Thor tells me about what happened last night, and since I can't get a hold of you, I start thinking that you left Steve's apartment last night and got mugged or worse..."

She paused mid-tirade only for a breath...and 'the tone' got worse.

"But no. You never left. After all that freaking out you did - about posing naked for Steve and then not wanting what you have with him to just turn to casual sex...you sleep with him."

"Jane...it's not like that..."

"Uh-huh, I'm sure."

She didn't know what bothered her more; that Jane automatically jumped to conclusions, that Jane was disappointed in her because of the conclusion-jumping, or that Jane was so invested in the matter to begin with.

The only concession - that her still drowsy state allowed - was that the situation _did _kind of sound like what her friend was assuming.

"We were fully dressed the whole night, I'll have you know."

"Being naked is not a requirement for sexual intercourse."

Darcy knew that, but she also knew what waking up after sex felt like. And ugh! Did she really just call it that?

"We didn't...have sex."

Jane just gave a heavy sigh that practically screamed exasperation, and Darcy could almost hear her rolling her eyes.

"Okay. You can tell me all about it when you bring lunch. For Thor too."

"Wha...but its my day off!"

"Mine too. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Ugh! You're gonna pay me back, right? My checking account is _not_ big enough to fund your boyfriend's appetite."

"Yeah, sure." the reply was casual and a bit noncommittal, causing Darcy to wonder if she really was going to be paid back.

She also knew it was Jane's method of shutting down the talk for now. Until she could get her face to face.

"How did you get Steve's number anyway?"

"From Pepper."

"Ah."

Great. Darcy could already see the knowing smile on Pepper's face. The one that she knew would be there the next time she saw her.

"Mexican. Don't forget the extra sauce."

The next thing she heard, was dial tone.

Pressing the off button, she dropped the phone on the bed and flopped on her back with a heavy sigh.

And she just simply laid there. Staring up at the ceiling for who knows how long, absently rubbing the soft material of her borrowed shirt between her fingers, when Steve's voice quietly announced his presence.

"Everything alright?"

He was in the doorway. All adorable/handsome/sexy rolled into a package of awesome. Pushing herself up on her elbows, she couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah. She was just worried."

"I gathered that." He responded with a smirk.

"Sorry. Her emotional filter is a little faulty. I think it's all the science."

Sitting next to her, his smile softened.

"She cares about you a lot."

"Apparently enough to pin me with lunch detail on my day off. Which is really just her way of initiating girl-talk without actually saying 'girl-talk'."

He flushed a bit then.

"She thinks we..."

Pursing her lips, she sat up, sliding to the edge of the bed, next to him.

"She thinks I took advantage and defiled you."

He barked a laugh at that.

"Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?"

"Like you would ever do anything like that."

Glancing at her, he raised a brow, and then very uncharacteristically and very apparently shifted his gaze down. And very noticeably fixated on her breasts. With that half-smile...

"Oh god. You are corrupted." She joked.

His smirk stayed put.

"For the better."

"Alright you. You can't always be so adorable." She pushed at his shoulder playfully.

Only to be pulled into him.

"Why's that?"

"Because then I really will end up stealing your virtue."

"Who said anything about stealing?"

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Jane was staring incredulously, burrito forgotten.

"So...all you did was cuddle?"

"Yep."

Jane didn't look convinced by her answer. Not in the least.

In fact, Darcy could see the gears spinning in her friend's analytical head, as conclusions were postulated with unerring velocity.

"There's more to it than that."

Darcy tried to give her most unassuming expression, the kind meant to convey innocence. But Jane's theory was far ahead of her.

"For one, you are way too hushed up about this."

Damn that for being true.

Normally, the woman across the table did her best to tune out the finer details of what she would generously divulge. But not this time. Jane was completely dedicated to the topic.

"I'm just going to assume..."

"Alright! Fine!"

She tossed her scrunched up napkin at her nosy target.

"There was some talking, kissing, him second-basing, and then cuddling! Happy now?! Geez..."

Jane raised her brows, like she still didn't believe her.

"So..." she slowly enunciated the word, just as she did before reciting some impossible equation.

"You let him touch you, while you were kissing - which only leads me to think things were getting kind of intense...and then you just cuddled? You?"

She was beginning to half-seriously ponder exactly how much Jane retained when 'tuning her out.' She was also mostly-seriously regretting having ever been so freely forthcoming to begin with.

Not only that...it was weird and kinda unsettling when Jane was this spot on. In matters unrelated to science, in any case.

Because normally, Darcy thought of her friend as a different species of woman altogether. The extremely rare kind...that devoted all her energy to creating Einstein-frosty bridges...and never had the time or outward care to attract a mate this side of the cosmos...which is ultimately how she ended up scoring herself an alien boyfriend.

A ridiculously hot and cut, alien boyfriend...

She shook her head to dislodge those thoughts, because...Thor was like a brother to her...and thinking of hot and cut boyfriends only lead her thoughts to Steve. And they were dangerous thoughts...

Looking up from her own burrito, she saw that Jane was still giving her 'the look.'

"I'm a cuddly person."

Maybe that came out a little on the defensive side, because 'the look' held steadfast.

"I didn't want to rush things with him, okay! He deserves more than a quick fuck!"

Jane didn't have an immediate response to that. In fact, she looked rather taken aback. Which Darcy wasn't used to. Seeing as she normally received looks of sisterly annoyance.

As it stood, she should have been glad that Jane wasn't giving her the third degree at the moment, bolstered by expressions of exasperation, and laced with that just barely noticeable hint of disappointment. But she didn't like it. Didn't like the way the silence just seemed to perpetuate the last thing out of her mouth. It was completely irrational, she knew this. Still, she didn't like it one bit.

"I'm so proud of you!"

Jane's outburst was just as unexpected.

As well as the hug Darcy found herself wrapped in.

"Uh..."

Thrown for the biggest loop ever, she just stiffly sat in frozen speechlessness. Because her friend did _not _ just hug people, no matter how close she was to them. Thor was the only real exception. And that was because they were like in love and there was regular canoodling involved.

Jane was really an only-give-hugs-to-people-I-canoodle type of person. And Darcy wasn't her type. There was also the fact that Darcy had it bad to canoodle with Steve.

Her clearly excited friend prattled and carried on in her ear about who knows what, nor how long - seriously, it was a big, fat and rather high-pitched jumble of words - when they were both encased in a massive, muscle-y armed bear hug.

It was more than enough to startle simultaneous squeaks out of them both.

"What occasion do we celebrate?"

For all his more than ample presence, Thor could be surprisingly quiet.

Neither one of them had heard him enter the room, much less get close to scoop them up. But even unexpected, his good-naturedness was contagious, and managed to reduce the normally rational and collected Jane to giggles.

"Darcy growing up."

"You do know I'm twenty-three, right?"

Thor had let them go at that point, digging into his disproportionately larger order of food. He cast a smile between them, arching a brow in a silent invitation for clarification, all the while munching a large bite from his first of at least twelve tacos.

"Twenty-three is still a baby." Jane directed at her before turning to her favorite blonde guy.

"She wants a serious relationship with Steve and she doesn't want to rush it. For his sake."

Thor looked to Darcy with a knowing smile on his face, and she couldn't help but blush. She then immediately shot a glare at Jane, because seriously...blabber much? But Thor, the big lovable guy that he was...

"Of course she wishes the best for Steven. She is a fair and caring maiden that has been a boon to his spirits and his heart."

Bless him and his response. That was the reason why pretty much nobody could resist hugging him.

"You're just saying that because you don't know how she was before she met Steve. You didn't have to hear her go on about this guy and that guy...and the things she did with these guys..."

"Oh God! You were actually paying attention?!"

"Of course."

"But you never listen...you were seriously listening?"

Just as Jane opened her mouth in response, her phone buzzed, distracting her into looking to see the identity of the caller. And with a groan - without even excusing herself, she answered the call, getting up and going into another room.

Good. Let the phone monster distract her this time. Served her right for interrupting Darcy's totally awesome snuggle fest with Steve.

Turning her attention back to her neglected lunch, she noticed, out of the corner of her eye, that hers wasn't the only food being ignored. Thor looked to be a little more than halfway through his stack of tacos, before he'd abandoned them to affix her with a look she wanted to think was concern. It definitely was a big brother kind of look.

"You were safe all night then?"

Damn. She could feel her face involuntarily assuming the 'oh shit, I'm caught' expression. No matter how much she tried to school it into something less convicting.

But the tingly burn spreading up her cheeks certainly didn't help either.

"We didn't..."

She knew it was no use really. The undoubtedly red cheeks she was now sporting were a dead giveaway that something happened. But still...he had that 'I may not be human, but I am a man' look of situational awareness on his face.

"You're not gonna go all big brother on him, are you? Because nothing happened...well, we...kissed...but there was absolutely no...uh...relations?"

He gave a hearty laugh at that. The kind that made her want to smile, even though she was more than a little weary as to why he was laughing in the first place.

"Were he any other man!" He started, though his laughter subsided so he could speak unencumbered.

"But he is good and honorable. His respect for you is great. He would not make light of the chance to lay with you."

Oh god...

It was like he was giving his blessing, a veritable 'I approve this union!' which despite it being kinda awesome...was also liberally doused in awkward.

With the warmth still present under her cheeks, she risked the potential for elaboration.

"Yeah?"

His smile was warm, but his expression serious.

"I have seen the way he looks upon you."

Was it _that _obvious to _everyone_?

"How does he look at me?"

"Like one who has found his anchor in a world fleeting."

The very core of that notion, had her heart fluttering. And by the look on Thor's face, she had the feeling he was speaking from personal experience.

She also couldn't deny, that Thor comparing his own feelings with Jane, to her and Steve...well, that was kinda overwhelmingly epic. But even with all his support - which was oddly far more generous than even Jane's - her doubts ate away at the fledgling confidence she normally had a firm grasp of, at least most of the time.

"I feel like a cheat...like I'm stealing something that doesn't belong to me. I feel like he deserves better."

It wasn't often that Thor gave her the stern look. He usually reserved it for far more serious occasions...like alien invasions...or rogue and rampant mutants. The expression was intimidating and was more than adequate in making the recipient feel like the biggest disappointment to ever face his gaze. Kinda exactly like she felt then.

But he took her hands gently, enfolding them in his own large ones, the stern look tempered by his obvious care and concern.

"Listen to me, Darcy. Do not doubt your worth. You are a precious friend to all who know you, and the Captain especially. You are the best he deserves."

She really did hug him then.

"You think so?"

She felt him chuckle warmly as his arms wrapped around her.

"I know it."

-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-

The following week was probably the best, most amazingly awesome...but also the most frustrating week of her life.

All for one reason. And his name was Steve.

At work, it was almost a repeat of the previous week. Except this time Steve's glances held a new meaning. A meaning that she wasn't that nervous of facing, like she'd been before.

But overall, pretty much everyone now had confirmation that she and Steve were...definitely something. Clint was only being marginally obnoxious. And most importantly, Tony was still in the dark. For which she was immensely grateful, since she knew that both her and Steve would have to mentally prepare themselves for whatever gigantic scene Tony would make once he found out. Because Tony couldn't stand to not know things.

No, at work everything was for the most part, pretty cool.

The real dichotomy of frustrating awesomeness actually saved itself for when she and Steve were alone together.

And she was the one who'd instigated it.

It was that Monday morning to be precise. Her instigating.

She hadn't seen Steve since that pivotal Friday night, because he'd been called to duty early that Sunday morning. The emergency call wasn't a horrible situation, and it was fairly quickly resolved, but it was enough to warrant calling in the big guns. Steve's big guns.

They'd been in the elevator, riding up with Clint, Agent Hill, and a few suits and lab-coats when the silent tension overcame her. Steve too - she could tell when she'd discreetly looked to him and found him doing the same, with his eyes lingering briefly but intently on her lips.

Stops were made at several of the Tower's lower floors, delivering said suits and lab-coats to their appropriate destinations, and ultimately leaving her and Steve alone with the two remaining agents as the elevator continued its ascent.

Agent Hill's floor was a lower floor, as indicated by the selected button, and Darcy had immediately begun to dread whatever Clint would inevitably say once the second-in-command stepped off - because Clint's usual destination was the same as theirs. But when Agent Hill's floor finally came up with a ding, he surprised them both and exited with her...audacious enough to give them a grin and suggestive brow raise.

They'd stood, momentarily stunned...until the fact that they were alone, for the first time since their impromptu sleepover, hit them. Clint had left them a golden opportunity...

So she snatched it.

Literally. By his shirt again. And filled every minute and Steve's mouth with kissing and her tongue, respectively.

He was pretty generous on the return. Actually, he was pretty damn eager to take over once she got the ball rolling. He was also damn good at keeping that ball in play. Nearly sliding in to second, when the elevator dinged at their floor, giving them _barely _enough time to right themselves as the doors slid open.

Pepper had been on the other side when it opened. Her expression was riddled with surprise - even though she had 'suspected' there being more to their relationship - she obviously hadn't expected to catch them. She recovered pretty damn quickly though, bidding them each a 'good morning' and adding an extra 'how was your weekend' with a twinkle in her eyes.

Darcy had merely thanked all the powers that be, that Tony was nowhere in sight...

Topping off that first morning back to work, Clint had somehow managed to get up to the big conference room before them. Needless to say he was pretty damn smug. But silently so. So she let it slide.

After that, she and Steve came to an agreement to keep the affections to a minimum while in the workplace. For several reasons, including but not limited too - getting caught by unwanted parties (mainly Tony), and just being way too damn distracted.

But this simply lead to them cashing in on those affections in their off hours...with either one of them staying the night at the other's place...nearly every night.

And _that_ was actually instigated by Steve. Though, it did start out causally enough. Him inviting her over for dinner and a movie at the end of that first day back in the office.

Which wasn't too far out of their normal pre-nude-Darcy-drawing routine. He'd done the same thing quite often when she'd had particularly long and exhausting days. It was just a thing he did.

This time though, she'd found herself pretty darn distracted during the movie. What, with his arm around her shoulder, and him lightly tracing his fingers over her skin. Making her more and more sensitive to his touch in an 'I want to return the favor' sorta way.

And she had.

Subtly at first when she simply snuggled closer, her own fingers taking up the same rhythm against his chest. That he picked up on pretty quickly too, with his touch slowing as the realization must've clicked in his mind. All it took then, was for her to look up at him, and his lips then drew her further into his warmth.

Their comfort with letting go and being openly intimate grew with each passing day. Even after all the time they'd had to grow close to one another over the past year, there had always been an invisible line drawn by platonic friendship that prevented them from letting go completely. They'd finally crossed that line that past Friday night. Although, they were still on the edge of that vast undefinable unknown, gaining courage in each other before making the big leap.

Still, each kiss and touch was getting them closer and closer. They were nearly there. Having traveled this far - from the beginnings of her complimenting his art, through the foundations of their friendship, and now in recognizing that friendship itself, just wasn't enough.

And after all the failed 'relationships' of her past, it was also her consistently deepening connection with Steve that made her truly and honestly ready to break through that final barrier of intimacy. The barrier that was always there - that had built itself stronger with each break-up - heavily guarding her heart.

It probably sounded cliché.

Heck, it seemed that way even when she'd realized that was what she was feeling.

She'd grown up in a generation that had a mounting animosity towards such paradigms. So it had invariably struck her hard to actually feel its truth.

By Thursday, things were really starting to heat up.

He'd already been to second base many times. And at that point, Darcy was beginning to feel like the tables needed to be turned. She needed to catch up. So she seized the chance while he was good and distracted - or maybe it was more like, 'while she was good and turned on' with a lightly ample amount of 'before she lost her nerve'.

She'd straddled him. Making out and doing the things she'd quickly come to learn he liked. Intermittently throwing him a curveball every now and then with a subtle shift of her hips against his. All before naturally shifting her hands from around his neck and shoulders and down the front of his shirt. Taking out button by button as she went along.

He'd shivered when her fingers smoothed across his skin. His heart pounded and the muscles in his abdomen danced like she was tickling him. Although it had been a strangled moan that spilled into her mouth, rather than a laugh.

Everything to this point with Steve, had been more of a turn on than any experience she'd ever had. Even with the few guys that had made a point to get her all hot and sexed up... there'd ultimately always been a payoff for them, that kinda cheapened the whole thing, regardless of how great the guys were.

But with Steve, it was the raw honesty of it that did her in.

Or it would have, if the moment - that had been very quickly on its way to breaking the 'taking it slow' agreement - wasn't interrupted.

In that moment, she'd been sorely tempted to ignore everything and let things take their natural course...if it hadn't been been a call to assemble.

Despite how much as she wanted to keep him to herself, she had to let him go.

-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-

She'd waited before. Whenever Steve had been called to duty. So this certainly wasn't something that was out of the ordinary.

The waiting part anyways.

The part where the waiting grew more and more intolerable...she wasn't really sure how or when it got to that.

In any case, it was the anxiety of the wait that creeped up on her with every mission that pulled him away. The long ones were especially rough. And this time, was a long one. Which she tried to ignore. Tried to convince herself that the worry wasn't growing worse. Because, before, she hadn't been ready for the full force of what it meant.

But now...she was living the full force of it...

Literally.

It was going on day five of the mission. And each day had been more aggravating than the day before. Leaving her unbearably frustrated from the constant state of worry.

She tried her best to not acknowledge it, going about business as usual. Which she would have been able to do a lot better...if details of the mission hadn't permeated every facet of her daily life.

Although she could only avoid so much at work, since she was pretty much in the thick of what they do, without being an actual Avenger herself.

This made her appreciate Jane and Pepper on a whole new level. They were practically saints for going through this on a regular basis.

Though, maybe Pepper did corner Jane in the remaining-cool-and-collected department. Because, being a new member to this club, Darcy didn't get much in the way of support from her friend - as she fretted incessantly about Thor's well being. The woman's emotional capacitors were clearly not wired for this type of output.

Pepper on the other hand, would give Darcy sympathizing looks. Which she wasn't sure whether she appreciated the support, or she wanted to avoid it...because it just made her think about Steve.

Ultimately, she picked avoidance.

She holed herself up in an empty office, just to avoid hearing anything having to do with the mission. At the very least, to avoid any of the looks from the people close enough to be aware of her relationship with Steve.

Still, she heard things. As was the nature of her work this close to the Avengers. But at least she could compartmentalize. She could handle the clinical dissemination if intel fairly well.

The sympathy and pity were another story...

She'd figured that things would be better once she was home for the night. That there wouldn't be anyone to try an console her - because the next person who pulled any shit like that...she was really tempted to slap them.

But she should've known news of the Avengers would flood pretty much every media outlet know to man...and them some.

It was on the radio. Facebook. Twitter. All the major news networks. And the cable ones too. She basically had to nix the social networking, and only watched her favorite shows, avoiding the news entirely. Or just sticking to the cable channels that showed food or home improvement. Because even the fucking Weather channel highlighted the news. Even the morning after her alarm woke her up to headlines from the night before, she had to switch to using her phone's clock instead.

She thought that all the little changes she made would have made everything easier, except for the fact that it pissed her off that she was even having to make them in the first place.

But of everything, last night's breaking news report while she was watching Raising Hope was the worst, and nearly sent her into Jane-like hysterics. Yet somehow, she managed to real it in...though not before throwing the remote, as she witnessed a flash of familiar red-white-and-blue.

It all lead to her, pretty much not using any form of technological communications device - aside from her issued work phone, because that was required. Which gave her plenty of time to catch up on that stack of books in her to-read pile. Which she would've made a bigger dent in, if she'd been able to concentrate better.

She was just settling into Pillars of the Earth, when there was a knock at the door.

It wasn't a loud knock, but it was late - already well past eleven - and she wasn't expecting anyone, so it made her jump a little.

Getting up she was about to rush into her room for a pair of pants, and a cardigan. If she needed to answer the door, she sure as hell wasn't gonna do it in only a tank and underwear.

But as she was just passing, she heard a voice calling her name from the other side of the door. A voice belonging to someone she'd been unbearably worried about. A voice she hadn't expected to hear...given how stingy S.H.I.E.L.D. was with mission details.

Not even thinking twice, because she knew his voice better than anyone's, she unlocked and pulled the door open.

"Steve."

He was there. Red, white, and blue. All in one piece.

"Darcy..."

She didn't give him the opportunity to finish, as she launched herself at him, and clung tightly with her arms and legs. She barely even registered the sound of his shield hitting the floor with a noticeable clang. Her mind was much more preoccupied with him. Kissing him, touching, affirming his presence.

And the way he returned the kiss...

It like he was trying to reassure himself that he was there with her. With one hand on her back, pressing her closer. The other buried in her hair, keeping her rooted as his tongue sought the same affirmation as hers.

She was content to remain that way, wrapped around him. And he certainly didn't have any objections either. But the thought of one of the building's fellow tenants stumbling upon them, had her pulling back.

"Hey."

He gave her that warm little half-smile, the one she hadn't realized how terribly she missed, until it was on his face and she was the cause of it.

"Hey."

Letting her legs slide back down to touch the floor, she took the opportunity to look him over. She hadn't noticed the little cuts and bruises on his face before. Her mind had been on autopilot, dragging her body along for the ride, right into his arms.

They didn't appear bad. His suit was singed and sooty, but there were few rips.

The news reports had made it seem so horrible. Yet here he was, a bit scratched up...but otherwise whole and perfect.

She noticed belatedly, the wry smile on his face as he gave her his own once over, though still reluctant to let her out of his reach. His hands lingered on her body, coming to rest on her hips. The grip and leather of his gloves oddly pleasant through the thin material of her top and panties.

"You know, you shouldn't answer the door in your underwear."

She smiled big and laughed. She also still buzzed with elation that he was there, holding her no less, that she could care less about her state of undress.

"I recognized your voice."

He leaned in to kiss her softly once more. Though it stayed soft and short, when the noise of footsteps and voices could be heard on the lower floors, making their way upwards.

"We better go inside."

The promise of more than invitation couldn't have been less subtle. But she didn't care.

And neither did he, as he gave her a nod...his eyes unable to hide his emotions, or the want.

"Um...Your shield."

It was still on the floor.

"Right..."

-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-

They simply stood there once the door was shut. Stood there for a few minutes, just looking at each other, the air thick with indescribable tension.

Tension so taut, that it felt like it would literally snap at any time.

And it did. Suddenly.

The shield was absently discarded once again, and he literally swooped her into an embrace. Her only reaction was to melt into him, because...sweet mercy...she'd never been so thoroughly and well swooped in her life.

His mouth was hungry on hers, inciting a natural response to give in. It was feverish. And hot. His tongue, breath, and mouth. Though a contrast to his suit that was surprisingly cool against her mostly exposed skin, as his body curved around her smaller frame.

She supposed distractedly, that it was the make of the suit. The kevlar kept his heat from reaching its surface. And as much as she loved the suit...because fuck, did he make it look good...she didn't like not being able to feel his own skin under her hands.

The thought of stripping him out of his uniform hit her fast, and it hit her hard. It also turned the growing wetness between her legs into a full on ache at that point, and she involuntarily gasped into his mouth.

He stopped then, and she was pretty sure she whimpered when his lips left hers.

It was in that moment...with his whole presence radiating a desperate need, that she realized - him rushing things wasn't about seizing the chance to experience what he'd missed before he'd gone into the ice. He wanted this, not because of the past. Rather, he wanted this because of the present. He wanted this with her. Because of her.

She tugged at the collar of his suit, finding the zipper.

"Off."

His brows rose, a small smile formed on his face, even though she could tell he was surprised. It was obvious he wanted to take that final leap. He was just uncertain. Everything they'd done so far, had been stuff he'd quickly grown comfortable doing...very comfortable doing. So the nervousness of finally taking that leap, was natural and inevitable.

But he didn't let that stop him. Instead he let her pull the zipper down.

She was just pushing the heavy material over his shoulders, when he cleared his throat, before speaking. His voice husky.

"I...haven't showered in five days."

It made her laugh abruptly. Because it is so completely awkward, and so completely Steve. But she doesn't let it deter her, continuing on her mission to un-suit him.

"Darcy...I don't want to be filthy when we..."

God, how was he this adorable. All serious and earnest.

"What?" She mocked teased, hoping to ease his worry, "I can't help you undress?"

Her effort earned her a little half smirk, serving the double duty of distracting him as she managed to get the jacket almost all the way off. But the sleeves caught around his forearms, around the sturdy gloves still in place. So she shifted her focus onto working them off, before getting frustrated when she found it easier said than done.

"How do these come off?!"

His smile grew at that, and he unfastened the clasps that kept the gloves secure to his arms. And once they were out of the way, pieces of the uniform came off easily, one by one, dropped unceremoniously to the floor.

In the end, after all was said and done, he stood almost completely bare.

Covered only in dark grey boxer briefs, that sat low on his hips and tight on his thighs.

-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-

Soooo, yeah ;D

Sexy times will be from Steve's POV. XD

Please let me know what you guys think! If there's any problems, etc. I really want this story to be awesome for you!

*hugs*

Mel


	5. Chapter 5

I'M SO SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG! *HUGS YOU ALLLLLLLLL!*

MASSIVE, BIGGEST THANKYOU TO INKANDASH, MERIDEATH, AND LJ9 (pandolfo-malatesta at tumblr) FOR BEING THE BEST BETA LADIES EVER!

Notes at the end :)

* * *

"Woah..."

She was staring at him. Pieces of his uniform were scattered around her feet, and the implication of it, as well as the intensity of her scrutiny was making him hard. Or more so than he already was.

She noticed it too. Fixated on it. And he waited, to see what she would do.

Though, the anticipation was excruciating, and before long he was the one that spoke up.

"Why'd you stop?"

She looked up at him, raised her eyebrows, and damn if she didn't lick her lips. Her line of sight shifted to the only clothing left that he had on, and grinned.

"I was just admiring the view."

He smiled shyly, confidence surging through him knowing that she liked what she saw. He'd always been self-conscious when women would eye him, size him up. But right now, with her...with everything their relationship had built itself upon, knowing that she cared about him for more than his body...it excited him even more when his body did turn her on. All because he felt like himself with Darcy.

Reaching for her, he pulled her closer, hands on her hips...naturally, possessively, "Yeah?" and it was more of a question than he intended.

And she smiled big then. One of her gorgeous smiles, with a little hint of mischief.

"Yep."

He leaned in to capture her lips, and she met him halfway, pressing her body closer to his as they kissed.

And God, he loved the feel of her. Before she undressed him, his suit had been in the way, so he couldn't really feel her. Couldn't feel her warmth, how her skin seemed to burn his palms, or how soft she was under his fingers, inviting his touch to rove over her curves...like now.

Her tongue was hot stroking against his own, sending a tickles of pleasure down his body.

It also made him hyper aware of her fingers easing down his back and under the waistband of his underwear, her nails lightly tracing over his ass. He wanted nothing more than to charge full steam ahead...but she pulled away, and looked up at him all playful and enticing.

"You...still gonna clean up?"

Right. He'd said that. He was also very suddenly aware of his state of hygiene .

"Yeah."

He watched as she tried to fight back a positively naughty grin.

"I could help with that too, you know."

He didn't respond right away. He couldn't. He was stunned stupid at the moment. The only thing going through his mind involved thoughts of Darcy in the shower with him. Where each increasingly naughty image, just made him more certain that he would embarrass himself if she did.

So, He leaned in once more, nipped at her lips, and pressed her close to him...to show her how much he did want what she'd suggested.

"I think I better go it alone." He said, his voice raw.

"You sure?"

He nodded, and he saw her gaze flicker to his throat when he tried to swallow his mounting nerves.

"Yeah…"

She didn't push, only kissed him softly, lingering just a bit.

"Don't keep me waiting soldier."

* * *

His heart raced as he stood under the spray of her shower.

What just happened...it made his head swim.

Or maybe that was just because all the blood was rushing to his groin.

Whatever the case, he tried very hard to ignore it. Because just the thought of stroking it away...with her in the next room - despite it being traitorously exciting - made him feel like an awkward adolescent, unable to control himself. Curiously, even more than if she'd been there with him.

So he focused determinedly instead, on scrubbing clean of the sweat and grime that had accumulated under the layers of his uniform.

He really felt disgusting. Especially after spending five days in it. And he really didn't want to smell when he was finally with Darcy. That much, he'd determined on the long flight back to New York.

It had been a tough mission, and the team was rather worse for wear. There'd been plenty of close calls; and not the type that could easily be shrugged off.

He had been with Natasha and Clint, ready to head into the building that the rest of the team was in - minus Dr. Banner - when it had exploded, rattled them all to their bones, and threw them back violently.

He'd landed sharply, ribs first, into an electric pole. It knocked the wind out of him, the shield out of his grasp, and broke several. Natasha and Clint were no better off. Her leg was broken, and his arm was dislocated. But even though they were compromised, they silently banded together to defend themselves.

In all the pandemonium, Thor had stumbled out of the flames, fully supporting the heavy and limp weight of Tony's armored form, and the sight was reassuring and terrifying all at once. It was very apparent in how singed Thor was that he was not invulnerable. And if he got banged up by an explosion...then Tony went through hell.

He was actually really worried about Tony. Especially when Thor ripped the faceplate off of his armor, and Steve saw the blood dripping down his face. He thought they might have actually lost him...but he was ultimately relieved when he eventually heard Tony's raspy voice in his com.

They were all alive. Shaken - and some of them beaten damn bad - but they were alive.

And despite the relief at the mission being a success, the number of nearly fatal close calls left him with festering thoughts of what could've happened if they weren't so fortunate. If he wasn't so fortunate.

Thoughts that were only reinforced by an overheard conversation between Tony and Pepper.

He hadn't meant to listen. Because it was obviously not meant to be overheard. He also tried his best to avoid hearing any more than he already had, but...once something is heard, it's pretty hard to unhear.

The conversation wasn't at all inappropriate - as compared to his eavesdropping - but it did make him think. About his own situation with Darcy, and what he wanted between them.

It also gave him a new profound respect for Tony and what he had with Pepper Potts. Something he was deeply jealous of, no matter how much he denied it. Because he innately wanted what Tony had with Pepper. He'd wanted it since the first time he saw Peggy...and became bitter when that possibility was crushed by an expanse of time that he could never get back.

That possibility, the hope of it...came flickering back to life, unexpectedly with Darcy. And the more he grew to know her, the more vibrant that hope became. Even if he was still fearful of it being snuffed out.

But listening to Tony soothing Pepper made him realize something else. That he was wasting his time, drowning in a sea of 'what ifs'. He wanted Darcy more than anything.

And the thought of it never happening was not something he was prepared to accept.

So as soon as the jet was in jumping distance from the landing pad, he leapt out and raced to her apartment.

It was completely spontaneous, there was no strategy in his decision outside his desire to be with her. So when he found himself at her door, a sliver of doubt suddenly rooted in his mind.

She could've been sleeping - it was late, and he could frighten her. There was also the possibility that she might have gotten mad at him. Or maybe she wasn't as ready as him. Worse yet...maybe she had reconsidered things in the time he'd been gone.

All these thoughts raced through his mind, and he unconsciously spoke her name...hand raised to knock, though unable to.

But that worry disappeared the moment she abruptly pulled open the door and launched her nearly naked self at him. He'd barely even said her name, when her mouth was on his, with palpable need that he desperately returned.

And now, just thinking about her more than enthusiastic welcome, had his mind betraying his discipline again.

Not even the slight sting of her soap to the already half-healed cuts on his face, seemed to be an effective enough diversion. Because the thoughts flooded his mind with sharp clarity.

From her lips swollen by kisses.

To her eyes, darkened with mischief and temptation.

Her breasts, deliciously outlined by the thin material of her shirt.

The determined way she said 'off' as she'd started to undress him.

He recalled vividly the drop of each piece of the uniform more clearly than even dropping his shield when she'd charged into his arms.

And when he remembered her fingers and the vibrating pull of his pants zipper against his crotch, his body - that had managed to calm down somewhat - completely betrayed him, stiff and aching for touch.

"Dammit..."

He abandoned his task, gripping himself, and started slow - failing to stifle the involuntary groan at the sensation, and only able to muse distractedly at that point, that at least he was in the shower. Because the images recalled by his mind didn't stop. They just replayed themselves with absolute accuracy, inciting oddly strong phantom sensations in the wake of her touch...like an invisible brand.

It didn't take long for his body to find a synchronous rhythm to the thoughts. A few strokes really, and the images quick morphed into scenarios of what could have possibly happened instead of this current shower. Especially after her very real offer to join him. And the expression she had...like a visual offer to be doing what he was doing now.

Just that...the little idea of her hand around him...and his hips jerked, seeking a sweeter friction. Because his own familiar stimulation was predictable, and in no way, a match for the overwhelming arousal that Darcy inspired.

He leaned against the tiled wall - the extra added balance it provided granting him a quicker and harder pace. One that was growing as erratic as his breathing with each joltingly sensitized tug.

It wouldn't be much longer.

That much he knew as he gave in, allowing his hips to join the increasingly erratic effort. His body was making its own mission to satisfy the rising friction. Creating sensations that rushed towards that final messy culmination with overwhelmingly powerful magnitude. All it took was the mere thought of being firmly hugged by the warmth of Darcy's body - not just her hand - to push him to that edge. Made his whole body felt like it was pulsing; radiating from his own hard length that twitched in his grasp.

Blood was coursing through his body in tandem with his rapid heart-beat. He could hear it in his ears and feel it in his head. Its pounding rush heightening his release; one that was the most intense he'd ever experienced.

Some level of him felt extremely guilty for letting himself be ruled by base desires. For having the best time with his own hand to date. With Darcy as his inspiration. In her shower, no less.

Practically in her presence. If it weren't for the few feet and a wall or two separating them. The feeling was particularly profound as he watched the evidence of his own work wash down the shower drain in the spray of water that was starting to grow cool.

Though, none of that self-imposed guilt compared to the intoxicating exhilaration that still resonated throughout him in pleasured twitches.

His body was overwhelmed by its climax and couldn't cooperate until certain sensations began to fade.

The twinges and the afterglow waned, but the exhilaration hadn't. It melded itself to the peculiar determination growing within him.

Enough to throw away any lingering feelings of doubt and caution.

He grabbed a towel, but didn't bother to dry off.

* * *

God, she was beautiful. Even as she muttered obscenities half-bent over an open drawer of a night table.

His heart that had only just calmed down began racing again. And he couldn't resist watching her.

The view was very nice...curvy and barely covered.

He didn't stand there long, just long enough to keep himself collected. Because this was something he'd never done before, after all.

She was still rummaging, only now she cursed loudly, 'where are you, dammit' and 'I kinda really need you now.'

It wasn't long though- a few more animated shuffles through the drawer - before she exclaimed a triumphant 'aha!' and stood up with the something she'd been looking for in her grasp.

A rather familiar shaped packet that promptly fumbled out of her hands and onto the floor.

"Shit."

When she bent down this time, he got a nice look down her top. Making him almost forget about the shiny square she'd just retrieved, until she was upright again.

But she started and gasped when she realized he was in the doorway, skin turning remarkably pink.

"Steve! I didn't know you were..."

Her voice faded off, and he noticed her definitely looking him over. Probably because he was still damp from the shower, only covered around the waist by one of her towels.

"Oh wow..." She breathed, and the condom almost fumbled from her hands again, "Um, how long were you standing there?"

"Not long."

She tucked some hair behind her ear, still fiddling with the packet in her other hand, and glanced back at the disheveled drawer.

"I uh, thought I might've been out...it's um...been a while...this looks lame doesn't it?" She winced.

He didn't even think, he just made his way over to her.

"No."

When she looked up at him, her expression was skeptical, and he could hear her voice in his head saying 'yeah right' even though she didn't say anything.

The hair she'd just tucked back fell from its place. So he closed the space between them even more - the adrenaline of the situation carrying him forward - and reached up to fix it.

"It doesn't."

She was a little breathless then, answering with a soft 'oh'. And he couldn't help but feel a little proud at that.

He let his hand drop to her waist and lowered his head to rest against her own, kissing her.

"Are you putting the moves on me?" She asked against his lips.

"Yep."

"Good moves."

He grinned again, then looked in her eyes, dark with want - and kissed her again.

* * *

He didn't hold back. The kiss was hot and urgent, and any hesitation or embarrassment from before, vanished and was replaced with need. Need that molded her body to his, arms wrapped around his shoulders and fingers raking through his hair, pulling him closer.

The feel of her...it made him hot. A tingly heat that was rooted in the groin and stemmed outward, where any little touch - no matter where - lit him up like a fuse.

Her breasts were pressed against his chest, the thin fabric hardly a barrier at all. He could feel the heat of her skin through the thin cotton. The moisture from the shower dampening the material, and it was almost like she wasn't wearing anything.

Her nipples stiffened against him, and his own stiff anatomy drove the impulses in him to slide his hands lower and grab her ass. He was only half aware of even doing it, but her reaction - as she pushed closer with her pelvis - made him very aware of how much he wanted this.

"Darcy..." he murmured against her lips, out of breath.

"Totally." she gasped back.

They shared a brief moment when he once again rested his forehead against hers, and just breathed.

He knew what she meant...that she wanted this as badly as him. And she didn't need to say it with any more words than what she'd just said. Really, she didn't need to say it at all. Because her eyes said it even before the words left her lips.

Her hands left his hair, and she slid them down, leaving tingles in their wake along the back of his neck. It just made him trace his own hands up from her backside in search of skin.

So when he encountered that damn barrier of a shirt, he smoothed his way up underneath it. Only to be surprised as she pulled away from him.

It turned out to be a very pleasant surprise though, when she tugged the shirt over her head and tossed it away. But he didn't get a good opportunity to appreciate them.

At least visually anyways.

She was up against him again, and it didn't really matter that the chance to look was limited for that moment - because his body was appreciating the skin to skin contact a lot more, making his urges all the more enthusiastic.

He kissed her again. His hand was threaded through her hair to brace her, as his tongue surged forward, making her moan.

But sounds weren't all that much of a priority at the moment...at least compared to very tactile sensations. So when she moaned in his mouth, he felt it, rather than heard it...the tickling vibration was sent reverberating down through his core and strait to his crotch.

Which only aroused him even more. And incited him to grab her backside again - a natural reaction that conspired with his subconscious. Except this time, her own excitement drove her to hop up and wrap her legs around him. The sudden pressure and heat of her stoked him even more. So much so that his hands held her tighter, making every little shimmy a test of pleasure and frustration.

Somehow they managed to work themselves onto her bed. The realization of it hitting him hard, as he'd been unconsciously grinding his pelvis in the cradle of her parted thighs...making her breathy moans grow in frequency and pitch.

The urge to keep going...to rut against her was overwhelming. Spurred on by the noises she made, and her own hips that surged up to meet his. But realization won out against the urges - though not completely. Definitely not completely.

Still, he stopped...arms braced on either side of her head, and fingers laced through her hair.

And he looked down at her, face dazed, confused, and flushed.

"Steve?"

"I..."

He knew he was capable of stringing together a coherent string of words.

He just had to breath right.

"Condom..."

Her own realization took a moment focusing her dazed expression, before she gave a lazy nod.

When he spotted it, it was on the ground. A good couple of feet from the bed, where she'd probably dropped it when they'd gotten caught up in...well, caught up in themselves.

"I dropped it, didn't I?"

He was still wound up, but that didn't keep him from grinning down at her.

"You're taking credit for that aren't you."

Unable to resist - and maybe he was just more playful when his inhibitions were lower - he responded with an even bigger grin. And she nipped at his lips, before pushing his chest.

"Okay. Seriously...we kinda need it if we're gonna have fun."

Though her fingers lingered, and sent promising shivers strait to his cock.

"Right."

He didn't want to leave her embrace. But knowing what was about to happen between them...and he was scrambling out of her arms and out of bed, unconsciously adjusting the loosened towel still around his waist.

The condom may have been out of reach, but he wasn't far out of hers.

Because he felt her fingers again, warm and at his waist. It wasn't even a second later, when he felt the towel fall to the ground. And barely a moment after that, when he felt her hug him from behind, body against his back while her arms wrapped around him.

They stood like that for a moment, and she kissed him, her lips leaving a hot, moist imprint at the base of his neck.

"You sure you're ready for this?"

He didn't even think twice.

Everything about the night, that moment, felt right.

Sure, it was new, but it was thrilling.

And ultimately he knew, in his desperate need to see her after the mission, that they would be crossing that final threshold.

"Darcy...I came straight to you. I didn't debrief. Didn't even go back to my place..."

The decisive words were husky out of his throat.

"I want this."

The heat of her hands splayed across his chest, and it only made the air around him feel much cooler than it actually was. The contrast was most sharp where he throbbed.

"God...me too."

He felt her breath against his back, and her fingers began to tickle at the hairs that trailed down from his navel, which just made him ache all the more when she teased her way further down.

He caught them though - the condom pressed between their hands - and he pulled her other hand away, so he could turn to face her.

When they were face to face, she didn't look down like he thought she would. And he didn't give her the chance to either. Not out of any sense of propriety, because in all honesty, that wasn't even an issue. That wasn't even on his mind. All he wanted was to kiss her.

In fact, he was only vaguely aware of tossing the packet still in his hand, onto the bed, before burying his hands in her hair and kissing her for all he was worth.

* * *

They kissed - everywhere, anywhere - branding each other and burning themselves onto one another's skin with the heat of their mouths. Her tongue scorched him, sucked his own, and sent fiery tingles down his body and up his hard length, hot between them. And in the heat of the moment, by an unspoken joint effort, they ended up on the bed again.

She pulled him closer, soft skin of her thighs on either side of his bare hips, and it was all driving him crazy with need. All the touches, kisses, her breasts...the insatiable friction that had him desperately longing for more than heated grinding. It all incited a tangible change of mood when their lips parted, laced with a charged excitement. And it was so clear then. That this was it.

He looked down at her, and he didn't need to say anything, because her expression invited him to trail his fingers down her body. To watch her shiver and her breath hitch when he traced over a full breast, and ghosted over its tip.

She arched her back. Though he wasn't sure if the motion of it was to urge him to keep doing what he was doing...or if she was trying to entice his hand lower.

"Steve..."

Lower. Definitely lower.

Her eyes closed as her stomach fluttered under his touch, and she actually whimpered when he passed over her navel. A jagged breath left her when his hand lingered lightly over her pelvis. And she outright moaned when his fingers finally stopped between her legs.

He rubbed tentatively, and this time it was her hips that arched towards his touch. So he pressed again, more firmly. Intensely fascinated by the way her body - especially her legs - spasmed uncontrollably as breathy gasps broke past her throat.

"Holy...shit..."

God, she was sensitive.

And her panties were damp, making it all the more easy to stroke a finger along the center of her, pressing between the soft skin where he was even more aroused by the heat of her.

She wiggled each time he touched over a certain spot, and strained in frustration when he abandoned it. And her breasts heaved as she breathed faster, moaning alternate sounds of frustration mingled with pleasured rasps of 'oh fuck.'

Her breathing grew more labored and spastic the more he rubbed, and she rocked her hips against his hand, trying to keep rhythm with his touch. So he rubbed harder, and his heart beat faster with every sharp cry she made while forcefully thrusting her hips to the pressure of his fingers at that spot.

He didn't expect it to hit her so suddenly. Or so violently.

She moaned from deep in her throat, and it excited him even more than he already was, watching her clutch the sheets. Her whole body taut, as the subtle spasms that she'd had before, now jerked her entire body, and a flood of warmth heated his fingers through the soaked barrier of her panties.

After it waned, she was dazed and limp, and the expression of pleasure that had strained her face before, relaxed into a soft smile.

"Wow."

He didn't know what else to say. She'd kind of sent all the blood rushing from his head to his groin.

"And I'm not even all the way naked yet."

His reaction was almost as involuntary as it was instantaneous...with fingers slipping under the edge of the delicate material and pulling them low on her hips.

He wasn't even aware of her watching him as he leaned back off of her, still on his knees between her own. But she got his attention when she forgot about her panties, and instead whispered a 'holy shit.' It was then that he realized she was staring at him. With particular focus on his very stiff erection.

The way she stared though - all spread out before him...he knew he wanted her just as naked as him.

So he tugged at the lacy band, and pulled them up and off when she automatically lifted her legs for him.

And just like the first time he saw her naked...the sight of her now became something he would never forget.

Especially since it was then that her warm fingers closed around him.

* * *

Sometime after she gripped him, he found himself on his back, watching with strange fascination as she slid her grasp up and down the length of him.

Every now and then she would change her rhythm or alter the pace...and each time, he would thrust his hips. Especially when she let her thumb rub over the tip.

He knew that where things were going...with what they were doing...that they would end up with her hand around his dick. But it was still surreal. Considering the fact that up to this point in his life, he was the only one that ever did what she was doing now.

"D...arcy..."

It became almost too much. She was kneeling over him...the most gorgeous thing he'd ever seen, naked, and biting her lip in concentration as her hand moved over his cock. He thought that maybe if he looked at her, instead of watching her jerk him off, he wouldn't lose himself embarrassingly fast. But when she trailed her unoccupied hand down her own body to stroke between her legs...and shuddered at her own handiwork...

It was too much, and he clasped his hand firmly over hers, just to make her stop.

He closed his eyes and breathed heavy through his nose, focusing on steadying its erratic pace. But in his mind, he kept seeing her touch herself.

"Steve?"

She sounded worried. And he felt her hand - the one that wasn't wrapped under his - softly caress his torso, fingers still wet.

"Hey...don't hold back..."

He caught those fingers with his unoccupied ones, and opened his eyes to meet hers, bright and encouraging. The situation and curiosity got the better of him, and before he could think himself out of it, he guided the very same fingers to his mouth and tasted the wetness still there. His eyes never left hers, and her own gaze grew hazy. She gave his cock a squeeze, eyes intent, and he could only nod, gripping her hand tighter and jerking his hips at the pressure.

She didn't speak; just pulled his hand away before starting again, where she'd left off. And like she said...he doesn't hold back...and neither did she.

He should've put two and two together, when her watched her lick her lips. But he was so physically focused on what her hand was doing, that what happened next caught him by surprise...never even occurred to him. And he couldn't help the moan and unintelligible sounds that escaped him when she scooted down, leaned in, and sucked the tip of him into her mouth.

"Fuck...Darcy..."

The sensation was so immense and overwhelming, that he was surprised he didn't just lose it, because his cock in her mouth was far beyond what he thought would happen. Especially at that point.

Her tongue swirled around him, and another 'fuck' left his mouth. It was the most incredible sensation he'd ever felt, and the next thing he knew, his fingers were in her hair and he was urging her on.

It didn't last much longer from there; he was that wound up. Just a few thrusts later - with her simultaneously sucking him - and he came hard.

If he hadn't been so thoroughly and amazingly spent, he might've been embarrassed about it. But as it was, he couldn't think beyond what just happened. He could only lay there, blissfully drained.

But then she was kissing him, soft curves stretched across him, and he tasted himself in her mouth. It should have been weird, but he couldn't care less. He just kissed her more, smoothing his hands over her warm skin.

"How you feel, soldier?" She asked after another kiss, forehead against his own.

He just smiled big and lazy.

"Well don't get too relaxed," she wiggled on top of him with a mischievous grin, and flashed the almost forgotten shiny packet in front of him.

"The night is far from over."

* * *

Ok, I hope I haven't disappointed you guys. I had a LOT of trouble with this chapter. And if you don't already know, a big part of that is because I'm a virgin. The never even been kissed kind.

So while my imagination is creative :) I needed a LOT one advice to get me through this chapter that's pretty much all fluffy smut. Inkandash, Meri, and LJ helped me and guided me and I will be forever grateful, especially since they got a full dose of my crazy. I think I pestered these awesome ladies to death with this, I was so worried.

Which...this chapter, kinda triggered a personal life crisis, and I had a little meltdown during the editing process (sorry beta ladies!)

But those ladies said they enjoyed it, so I'm hoping you did too! I'm sorry for the horribly long wait!

There will be another chapter, which part is already written ;) and possibly a bonus epilogue chapter in which Tony is obnoxious and nosy :)

Thank you again everyone. I'm truly humbled to have made something you enjoy, and I hope this chapter lived up to you expectations :)

Also, if this is too mature for this site, it is also posted at AO3 under my name there, melifair ;)


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